Obsidian and Ivory
by Kirashound
Summary: Mistrustful to say the least of the Black Flight, Anduin is more than a little unsure of Wrathion. When the last Black Dragon swears himself to a quest of earning the trust that the Human Prince stubbornly with holds, will he win Anduin's heart instead. And what of an ally in saving Azeroth from a threat far greater than the horde. Yaoi later. Wrathuin.
1. prologue

Prologue

_Author's Note: This is my first Wrathuin fanfic. I am terrible at personalities and probably got Anduin completely wrong (Wrathion too). Dispite that, I hope u like it. Please review._

The darkness of the dragon's lair was filled with smoke flame and thick with the scent of sulfur and brimstone that seemed to eminate from the black scales of the titanic beast itself; its eyes were pits of hateful fury, its open maw-more than large enough to swallow him whole and lined with flesh rending fangs longer than his body-glowing with its fiery breath and issuing billows of choking smog as he dangled helplessly from its titanic claws.

"**NOW**," Onyxia roared, her voice shaking the cavern to its rooftop and making her captive cry out in fear as he was dangled over a clutch of enormous eggs beginning to hatch, "**I THINK IT'S TIME THAT MY NEWEST WHELPS SHOULD GORGE ON YOUR ROYAL FLESH!**"

"_AHHHH!"_ Sitting bolt upright from where he'd slumped up against a rock halfway up the carved stone stairs leading up to Kun'lai summit from the Valley of the Four Wings, he found himself once again alone in the strange land of Pandaria and far away from both everything he'd known and-in both time and distance-the lair of the dragon that had held him captive that night and the long dead beast herself. And yet the memory of the Black Dragon still saw fit to bedevil him. Shaking all over and drenched in cold sweat, Anduin lowered his head into his hands and struggled to calm his racing heart. _It's been years since I've had that dream; I thought the night terrors long gone by now. _The image of the ebony leviathan descending on Stormwind in a raging fire storm, destroying the park and damaging the gates before flying off and vanishing into the horizon; Deathwing, the destroyer of worlds, Aspect of Death and former Earth Warder. The thought of the Lord of the crazed Black Dragonflight alone made him shudder. _I thought I'd managed to restrain, if not push those memories away entirely. And yet now they come back? And this feeling…like I'm being watched. _Rising to his feet the Prince of the Alliance warily observed his surroundings, looking for any possible signs of danger. _It was a mistake to fall asleep in the open like this, especially when I just escaped from Horde imprisonment. The Warchief's goons are likely on my trail; I need to get as far away as possible in hopes of finding shelter with the Pandaren or-with the Light's grace and mercy-Father's men._ Starting up the stairs again towards the still far away summit, he sighed. _Perhaps I shouldn't have run away from the SI:7. Why do I always get myself into these situations; I swear to the Light, I never learn!_ As he continued on his way, Anduin had no way of knowing that he was being watched, or that he had been under watch long before falling asleep on the stair. As he continued on his way, the Black Talon above turned his attention to his companion and grunted

"So this is the one that the boss is interested in? Sure, he's a royal and he's pretty I suppose, if you're into that sort of thing, but other than that there's nothing special about this Prince."

The woman beside him grinned, a sharp raptor smile that made the Blood Elf's pretty face transform into something blood chilling and deadly. "Clearly, you're not all that familiar with our employer. Immediately evident or not, Black Prince Wrathion always has a reason. The last of the Black Flight is invested enough in this boy that he has him under close watch by us, and where I don't doubt it has to do with more than his past contact with his…deceased kin, I can't pretend to understand exactly what it is he wants. Of course," she focused her human companion in a terrifying fel-green gaze, "knowing why isn't our job. Following orders is. That being said, we should inform his majesty that the 'White Pawn' is almost at his doorstep. Let's go."

"Nothing more to do here, I suppose." With one last look over his shoulder at the blonde youth, the Black Talon followed after his companion and vanished into the mist.


	2. Chapter 1

_Note: I am aware of spelling/ grammar mistakes. I typed a lot of this in the dark lol_

Chapter One

By the time he reached the top of the Veiled Stair Anduin was more than a little bit exhausted and way more than a little bit pleased to find an inn standing right before his eyes; in typical pandaren quality, the quaint little wood building had slate panel roofing and had been raised off the ground on bamboo poles; behind it, steam issued from what Anduin could only assume-and dearly hoped-was a hot spring for the convenience of guests. His stomach growled loudly, having gone without food for the past two days; looking down at himself, Anduin sighed. _My clothes are tattered and threadbare and I'm covered in mud. I hope that I can find replacements here; the last I want is to end up running about naked. _Turning his attention back to the inn, he froze; where moments before the porch had been vacant what now stood before him were a pair of women; one human, one orc and both staring at him with mirrored stances, feet apart at shoulder width and arms crossed over their chests.

"Come inside, Prince of the Alliance." The Human women spoke to him in harsh common, gesturing impatiently for him to ascend the stairs to the door. "You're a much anticipated guest by his majesty, our employer. He's waiting for you inside."

_I was…expected? By who, I am familiar with no one in these lands. _Hesitating for as long as he dared though finally coming to realize that he had little choice in matters, Anduin covered the last few feet between himself and the inn and ascended the stairs.

"Come with us." He was promptly shepherded inside and up another flight of stairs to what looked to be a private dining room where he was left abruptly. The only other person in the room was sitting at the table which had been set for two with drinks and a meal-wine and a pandaren dish that Anduin did not recognize. He was dark skinned with a goatee and even darker curling hair concealed beneath a white turben. His clothes, too, were white but traced with designs of golden swirls and accented by adornments of what looked like black scales. As the glowing red eyes fixed on him, Anduin felt his heart speed to an alarming rate before stopping cold. Seemingly amused by his evident discomfort, the Black Dragon smiled revealing a mouth full of razor sharp fangs.

"Ah, so my company has arrived at last. Come, Prince. Sit. I'd have you for dinner."

_By the Light, I thought they all were dead! What is one doing ALIVE, let alone in Pandaria! Run! Run or scream, cast a spell or something! _He wanted to say something blistering and bold, like his Father would. Wanted to keep the fear from his voice like his Father would. Instead, what he said was "You 'having me for dinner' is exactly what I'm afraid of!"

At this, the vile, black clad, fang mouthed abomination laughed! It would, Anduin noted almost unconsciously, have been a pleasant sound if the entire situation hadn't been so completely chilling. As would the fact that, in mortal guise dragon kind truly was the epitome of perfection, had hit him sooner. "I speak of the fine meal lain out before us, my Prince; the meal said to have been a favorite of the last pandaren emperor, atop the finest wine that all of Azeroth has to offer. I am…aware of the trouble that my kin," he grimaced almost undetectably, as if the thought of being related to such monsters was off putting even to him, "have caused to your people and most especially to you, but I want you to know that I mean you no harm. I am Black Prince Wrathion, last of the Black Flight, Earth Warder, and-purified by the Red Flight-I stand-or rather in this situation I suppose that sit-before you as the beings that my kind once were before their fall from grace. Come, share a meal with me before you rest yourself for the night; your journey has been long and trying. I implore only that you-likeminded individual as you are-would listen to my…tale." Anduin was many things-Prince regent, Alliance, Priest-but impolite was not one of them; despite his trepidation-and that was putting his feelings towards the creature before him in the most mild manor possible-he edged forwards and sat down mincingly on the edge of the chair that had been set out for him as if it might explode into flames at any moment. Is Wrathion noticed this, he made no comment. "Please," he gestured one scale-clad hand at the meal before Anduin as he picked up chop sticks with the other, "partake before it gets cold. I promise you on my honor as a Black Dragon that neither your food nor your wine is poisoned."

"Honorable Black Dragon is an oxymoron!" Anduin snapped back, surprising even himself with the viscousness of the statement. "Your kind disgust me, you black menace! I don't believe as single honeyed word that spills from your vile mouth, aberration! Purified? Hah! If there is one thing that I've learned, it's not to trust the Black Flight. Death Wing. Nefarion. Onyxia. All of them destroyed and killed simply because they could! Why should I believe that you are any different?"

"…I suppose, I all honesty, you shouldn't until I give you reason to. And giving you reason to is exactly what I plan to do. But first, please, eat. It is my understanding that you haven't had even a mouthful of food in a few days?"

_Was he having me followed? _The feeling of eyes on his back that had plagued him through the Valley of the Four Winds and up the Veiled Stair. The Body Guards who had appeared the moment he'd crested the summit, claiming their employer was 'expecting him'. Now it all made since. Anduin gave the disguised monster before him a hard glance, calling on his shadow magic to attempt to force truth from the dragon; Wrathion's red eyes showed nothing but the disconnected concern of a stranger for another. Assured slightly, he allowed his hunger to win out over his doubt while still being careful to keep up a shield of pride and royal breeding, controlling himself to take small bites rather than tearing into the meal like a wild beast.

"Is it to your liking, young Lord?" Reminded of his company, the magnificent food transformed to sand in his mouth.

"Up until you reminded me of what I'm eating with, it was delicious." He griped.

"I see." Something close to annoyance passed momentarily over the dragon's face. "Very well, down to business then; as I told you, my name is Wrathion. I now heed the call that my father once did when he was known as Neltharion the Earthwarder; the call to protect Azeroth and her people from the darkness that would seek to consume this fragile point of light in a universe of chaos. I cannot say that I agree with my Father in what he ultimately did, but…" for a moment Wrathion paused to cast an almost wary look at his company, "I believe he was right about one thing; this world, OUR world, is _so_ fragile. You know, sometimes I think that it was that very fragility that drove my Father to madness in the first place. Trying to protect it…seems an impossible task. And when you're alone, I suppose it would be. That is why I need you, my White Prince; you see, as I said earlier, we are alike of mind. There are, at this very moment, horrors beyond imagining baring down upon our heads; the Burning Legion, and even more dire threats yet unseen! As it stands, the Alliance and the Horde are poised upon the cusp of a war that would tear them BOTH apart! Thrall saw this, I see it, and I know that you see it. I am in Pandaria seeking knowledge. Items of power that could help us defend this world from the forces that would see fit to destroy it. But I cannot do it alone. Please, Anduin. I know that you believe peace with the Horde is possible. Unlike your Father, unlike Hellscream, you do not let hatred and old blood feuds blind and control you. Only if we, obsidian and ivory, join together can this world be saved. So, I ask you now Prince of the Alliance," he extended his claw tipped hand across the table towards him and it was Anduin could do not to flinch away, "will you lend me your aid?"

"Wrathion…your words just now…everything you said. All of it," he felt his lips pulling back into a sneer so brutal he hadn't thought himself capable of it, "is nothing but a pile of bull shit! Empty lies! Just like your kin!"

"You'd be so petty as to allow your mistrust for me, however rightly held, to exceed your ability-no, I'd go so far as it call it your obligation-to do all in your power to save this world and all her people?" the Dragon replied. "Perhaps I was wrong about you after all."

"_You won't bait me, whelp!" _His glare may not have had the wolf god behind it, but it still bit like a sharpened sword. "You cannot sway me with your words or your actions, nor can you provoke me into becoming a sightless pawn of your deviant mechanitions! I will not be used by anyone, least of all by you. And no matter what you try, I will never trust you! The mere thought, as a matter of fact, of sleeping under the same roof-no, within a hundred _miles_ of you-makes me sick to my very core, and were I not so exhausted I would not bother to stay here! As it is, I am going to my room and do not wish to see your face again!" Storming out, Anduin slammed the door behind him without even bothering to thank his 'host' for the meal. Once the other Prince was gone, Wrathion broke out into an even larger grin and sat back with his goblet of wine.

_Oh, my dear Prince. How could you know that you've just issued a challenge that I'm not about to refuse?_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter two

The steam rose from the water in pale curls about him as he sat in the hot spring out back of the inn in an attempt to get his sore muscles to loosen after days of arduous travel; he was alone-and glad for it, considering that he had nothing on beneath the almost crystal clear water-and it was sun set, the last rays of the dying fiery orb sending points of color-red and gold and palest pink-to pierce the heavens in all directions even as the night bore down to claim its hard won victory.

_Such beauty exists in this world, and yet it's taken forgranted-ignored, and even exploited-by many of those who call this place home. _Anduin thought with a sigh.

'You'd be so petty as to allow your mistrust of me to get in the way of your ability-no, your obligation-to do all in your power to save this world from that which would destroy it?' The memory plagued him like a curse and had eaten at the corners of his mind for the past few days; since arriving at the inn he'd yet to work up a strong enough desire-despite his unorthodox company-to leave its safety.

"My obligation?" he muttered, dragging himself out of the water and toweling off quickly before redressing. _Save the world…from a threat even greater than the Burning Legion? Do i…does ANYTHING have that kind of power?_

"Ah, my Prince, you've returned from your bath." Snapped out of his thoughts, Anduin frowned deeply at the most unwelcome sight of the bright-eyed Wrathion sitting before a Shogi board and a pair of steaming tea mugs. "Come, sit and drink tea with me. Let us engage in a favored Pandaren pass time."

"…" _I'm no pawn in your game, Dragon. But perhaps…_Anduin sat down on the white side of the board and glared at the other Prince, _this will show you that I won't be manipulated; my mind is sharp, and strategy is something that I'm good at. I'll see everything you throw at me coming from a mile off, and I will beat you. Let this be a lesson that I cannot be controlled, no matter what you try or how often. _  
"White moves first, you know?"

The dragon nodded. "I do."

"Then why would you willingly allow me to have the advantage of first move, knowing that?"

"Because I am the Black Prince, and you are the White Prince. This way, things make sense." Far from the answer Anduin was expecting. "Perhaps that was my motivation. Or, perhaps, I prefer-if possible-to react rather than instigate."

_Perhaps we ARE likeminded on that account, but it can't be helped. _

"Your move, 'White Prince'."

_I won't back down. _Picking up one of his game pieces, Anduin was halfway through moving it into position when he suddenly froze. "Wait. What's the catch to all of this?"

"Catch?"

"You're a Black Dragon; with your kind there's always a catch."

"…You're quite sharp, has anyone ever told you that my Prince?" Wrathion grinned, again revealing teeth as sharp as steak knives. "A catch? There is indeed. If you win, I will do any one thing that you ask me to without question. Likewise, if I win, you will have to do the same. Acceptable?"

Anduin grimaced, game piece clenched so tightly in hand that his knuckles turned white. _Ask me to do any one thing, and I have no choice but to do it? It's risky…but, for the Light's sake, this whelp can't be more than TWO! I have the upper hand here; I won't lose. So, no, it's not risky after all. Not at all. _Placing the game piece down, he grinned mockingly at his opponent. "Your move, 'Black Prince'."

The game progressed at an alarming rate; a battle of minds played out through tile pieces on the board. Anduin would push against his opponent's lines, and in turn his opponent would fell his pieces in battle. He'd adapt his strategy immediately and attempt to come at Wrathion again, but the Dragon worked in ways that the Human Prince simply couldn't fathom. Flawless defenses with no way through until…there! A hole in the lines and a foolish mistake to boot. He'd just move his strike piece into position and…

"Check mate." Anduin froze, then looked down at the board in disbelief. Wrathion had indeed, somehow, managed to maneuver his strike piece into position first, and had won the game. A horrified Anduin was left almost speechless.

_Damn it all. Now he can demand my help and I'll have no choice! _

_ "_Now, time to claim my prize." The grin on the Dragon's face reminded the beaten Prince of a cat who had just caught a particularly juicy bird. "What I want you to do is…tell me, truthfully, why it is that you've come to Pandaria. Who, or what, are you looking for with such zeal, such determination, that you would flee from both the Horde and your own men, who only want to return you safely home?"

"I…?" _He wants…to know why I came to Pandaria. Of all the power that condition gave him…all that he wants me to do is tell him why I came here? _"The Water of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms are said to be possessed of extraordinary healing powers; I want to study them, in hopes that I can learn something to help my people."

"I see." The disturbing expression didn't fall from the dragon's face. "When will you be setting out again?"

"…Tomorrow." Something told him to get as far away from his host as possible.

"I see. Tong will have the supplies prepared by dawn tomorrow. Now, it is getting quite late. Perhaps my Prince should be getting to his rest?"

_How annoying. _Grumbling, he turned his back on the Dragon and made a point of vanishing quickly up the stairs.

The next morning Anduin woke up just after dawn, more than eager to pick up and get going if only to put as much distance between himself and the Black Prince as humanly possible. Going down stairs onto the lower floor of the Tavern in the Mists, he found the young dragon smirking down at him from his perch atop a mountainous pile of supplies.

"Early to rise, my Prince?"

"I want to get out of here as soon as possible," he replied distractedly. "Is all of this for me?"

"Indeed; more than enough-I would presume-for the duration of our trip."

"And just how am I supposed to carry…" exactly what Wrathion had said smashed into him just then and Anduin demanded "_our _trip?"

"Why, of course. You've no idea what is up and what is down in this land. I do."

"I'll buy a map!"

"And you'll need my man for transportation-."

"I'm an able swimmer!"

"And protection."

"I'm not afraid of a couple of Saurok!"

"My dear prince, there are a lot more than a _few_ Saurok in that tunnel." Wrathion informed him tartly. "Atop that, in Kun'lai you'll likely be confronted with the Yaungol. Also, you've no idea when you'll have another encounter with the Horde."

"They'll track me down in a heartbeat if I'm toting around a militia!"

"I swear to you, young Anduin, that my Black Talons and I will cause you no trouble." Wrathion purred. "As a matter of fact, you won't even know we're here."

Somehow, from the grin that the Dragon was giving him, Anduin highly doubted the truth in that.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The 'boat' as Wrathion called it-to Anduin, it more closely resembled a poorly constructed canoe likely to sink beneath their weight and even more likely to capsize once boarded-was named the Spring Drifter and floated gently in the clear cold water of the mountain stream not far from the Tavern in the Mists. Their supplies-Anduin still winced audibly at the thought of being stuck with Wrathion for the Light only knew how much longer-had already been loaded into it, and Brewmaster Boof, the owner of the Spring Drifter and their boatman for the day stood on the shore beside the boat. His Grummel companion, Eggshell, had perched himself atop the small mountain of supplies in the back of the boat. Anduin stood there, the wet sand giving way beneath his-not exactly considerable as he'd lost a few pounds in Horde activity and the resultant flight across the Valley-weight as the cold wetness soaked into his shoes. He curled his toes and frowned delicately.

"Don't fret my Dear Prince, it does nothing for your handsome features; you'll get premature wrinkles. I'd never knowingly put you in any situation where you'd come to harm; it's perfectly safe." The hand that Wrathion rested on his shoulder had the opposite of the calming effect that the Dragon had clearly intended and Anduin's frown deepened into a glare as his gaze shifted to him.

"Fret? Who's fretting! Unhand me!" He jerked free of the other's grasp and attempted to board the boat with the dignity and grace befitting a Prince, but it gave way beneath him far more than he'd anticipated and he fell into the seat with a most undignified winded gasp, almost overturning the boat in the process. Wrathion's laughter as he boarded the boat with all of the grace that the other had lacked did nothing to improve his rapidly declining mood.

"Let us be off, then?"

"What about the Black Talons?" Where he wasn't keen on having guards-again-he was even less keen on being entirely ALONE with the 'Black Prince'.

"They'll be flying; they'll meet up with us at Binan Village on the other side of this tunnel."

"Flying?" invisioning the familiarity of a Gryphon's saddle, Anduin perked up. "Why couldn't we fly?"

"Oh? And I thought you'd rather a boat over a kite."

"K-Kite?" Paper. Wood. Sure he didn't weigh near as much as he had just a few months ago, and sure he'd never weighed all that much too begin with, the thought of expecting such a flimsy construct to ferry him through the air?  
"Yes," the Dragon nodded, "kite. There are a few left, so if you'd rather-?"

"NO! THE BOAT IS FINE!"

Grinning triumphantly, Wrathion gave the signal and the Spring Drifter began to move.

"Ever been to Kun'lai before? It's great. Long flowing farmlands. Beautiful mountains. And absolutely nothing dangerous what-so-ever." The Pandaren announved jovially.

Eggshell quickly pointed out "Hozen attack Grummels."

"Well, yes," Brewmaster Boof admitted with a sigh. "There are problems with the Hozen."

"Tigers."

"Yes, and the Tigers."

Anduin had to admit that he wasn't paying much attention to their conversation as the yawning mw of the cavern loomed over then and a cool grey shadow fell across the rippling water's surface. He caught sight of the first Saurok moments before the silver glint of a spear whistled through the air, swiftly joined by countless more. With a cry of alarm, Anduin ducked down and covered his head with his hands.

"Dark-hatched Saurok are very dangerous and very powerful." Eggshell squeaked, dropping down alongside Anduin who now crouched on the canoe's floor.

"The spears are just for show," the Brewmaster admonished, waving a dismissive hand. "As long as we don't get out of the boat, or make eye contact, or get hit by a spear we should be fine."

Considering the sheer number of spears peppering their position, not getting hit didn't seem very likely.

"Saurok are very dangerous."

They left the shadow of the tunnel just then, the last of the spears splashing down harmlessly and out of range in their wake as the Spring Drifter glidded to a stop at the docks of Binan Village. Wrathion leapt out with alacrity, leaving Anduin to clamber out after him with a great deal more caution than the other had shown.

"Would you mind if we took a short detour?" he asked innocently, tilting his head to one side in a manor that left his turban in danger of toppling off.

"Detour?" Anduin repeated dubiously. "Care to explain, Dragon?"

"Well, about a day's travel North of here is One Keg, a little town at the base of Mount Neverrest; up that mountain is a path known as Seeker's Folly. It is an exceedingly dangerous trek, known for common avalanches and a high population of extremely aggressive yeti; but if one manages to make it to each of the three shrines dotting the path, it is said that they will achieve 'inner peace'."

"But we have to head West to reach the Temple of the White Tiger to gain permission to enter the Vale." Anduin protested.

"I'm aware of that. But the Vale isn't going to run away while you're not looking and this journey won't take more than three days total."

"If you want to walk this trial of yours, do it yourself. I didn't ask you to come with me on my search," he narrowed his eyes as he reminded him, "you invited yourself along."

"But I'd leave the Black Talons behind in One Keg; we'd be alone; have a chance to really get to know each other. To bury the hatchet, as they say."

"I'll pass." Turning his back on the Black Prince, Anduin began to walk away.

"It's no wonder you turned out to be a Priest," Wrathion taunted, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "You don't have the stuff to be like your Father. A warrior."

Sore spot. Turning back to him with blue eyes flashing like sword steel Anduin hissed "excuse me?"

"I never thought a man of the proud Wrynn Bloodline could be _weak. _Seems I was wrong; there's a first time for everything, I suppose."

Anduin had never been what you would call a prideful person, not at all. But there were just some things you didn't touch. "I am _not_ weak!" Wrods grated out, straining between gritted teeth. "There's more than one kind of strength in this world!"

"Oh? And here you are, running in fear from a mountain!" Wrathion jeered in return. "If you're not…where are you going Anduin, I'm not done insulting you yet!"

"_I'm going to One Keg!" _Of course it had to be now that his Pride came around to bite him.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The moment that the tiny alpine town of One Keg had vanished from their sight Anduin began to process of berating himself for actually allowing the Dragon to goad him into going along with his scheme, whatever it may have been. If one thing had been made painfully clear about his exceedingly annoying shadow, it was that Wrathion knew exactly what buttons to push. When he'd said that he'd leave the Black Talons behind in One Keg he hadn't lied; Wrathion had taken along a Blood Gem instead, a large magical stone the hue of a ruby and the size of a fist through which they could contact help-or be tracked down-should trouble arise. He'd been attempting to talk to him for the past five hours, but after being met with an endless wall of stony refusal to acknowledge his presence, the attention seeking Dragon had finally fallen silent. The snow and wind howled around them, black stone jutted out of the shimmering silver white. Then, up ahead, he saw it and froze.

"What in the Light's name is that?"

Stopping in his tracks as well, Wrathion turned back to him in confusion and raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong, my Prince? I imagine that there must be, if you're talking to me now."

"Those statues…up ahead. What are they?"

"Statues?" Looking in the indicated direction, Wrathion's eyes widened. "My, my. Look at this!" He hurried up the remainder of the path to reach the odd statues, leaving Anduin to trail reluctantly behind; the older Prince stopped a few feet short of them, clearly unnerved. Something about the entire situation seemed off; though he couldn't quite put his finger on it, Anduin didn't want to linger. But Wrathion seemed entranced by the statues, carved of pale grey stone into the visage of a creature with the face of a dog and the mane of a lion.

"Wrathion, come back!"

"They're Quilen; Mogu artifacts."

"Something isn't right about this!" Anduin insisted. "We need to get out of here."

And just what 'isn't right' about all of these?"

"For starters, like you said, their Mogu architecture! For all we know, they aren't actually statues!"

"I think you may be a bit paranoid."

"Don't think it at least a little odd that four statues are randomly placed on what is-arguably-the most treacherous path in all of Pandaria with no other structure for miles around?"

"I never said anything about the Mogu making sense, my Prince." Wrathion continued examining the statues for a few minutes longer before the strangest sound reached his superior hearing over the shrieking wind. Turning to investigate the source of the sound, he felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of the enormous Mogu loomed over the unarmed and oblivious Human Prince. "ANDUIN, MOVE!"

"Wha-?" whirling around, he had only enough time to throw up a shield before the giant's weapon came down; Wrathion watched in horror as the shield of light shattered like glass. The blade sheered through flesh and bone and blood flew as the Prince crumpled with a cry of pain, but the force had been dampened enough to stop the blow from killing the Human on the spot.

"Pitiful, puny creatures! Small and weak! Niether of you shall interfere with the Mogu, nor shall you tell anyone of our work here!" Their attacker boomed as he raised his weapon again. "Wake, my pets! Kill them both!"

The stone shrieked and shattered as the four Quilen jumped to their feet, snarling and unveiling their fangs in viscous snarls. Wrathion knew immediately that he was outmatched; he was powerful, sure, but he was only a whelp. He didn't stand a chance against five attackers at once. And then there was Anduin to worry about. He couldn't let him die! He wouldn't! He should have listened to him. But how to escape? He wasn't large enough or strong enough to lift a Human, even one as slight as Anduin, on any day let alone in a raging blizzard. Could they run? In what direction? Without real thought and not even realizing that he was moving at all, Wrathion leapt forward, pulled Anduin to his feet and frog-march-sprinted with him into the snow, leaving the path behind but not caring, slipping and stumbling and even rolling head over heels at times but not slowing. It seemed an eternity before the howls and snarls finally fell away to silence and he stopped. Anduin was leaning heavily against him, his chest straining as he painted for breath in the cold air.

"Anduin, are you in pain?" with the look of the terrible wound, it certainly seemed so. But to the Dragon's complete surprise, the older Prince shook his head.

"No, it doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt at all." Wrathion only had time to register the horror on his face before he elaborated "I can't feel my arm."

"You're a Priest. You can heal yourself, can't you?"

Swallowing hard, Anduin shook his head. "I can't…concentrate. I don't know if it's the blood loss or if the weapon was poisoned, but my head…is swimming."

"We'll have to find help, then." Wrathion said. "Can you walk?"

After a moment, he nodded. "Yes."

"Tell me if you need to rest," the other nodded mutely and they set out down the mountain, blind in the white-out blizzard with no barings on where they were or where they'd end up; for all either of them knew they were primed to walk off a cliff and plummet to their deaths or even greater injury. Anduin stumbled, blood-deep scarlet and steaming in the winter air-hissing as it fell into the snow. With time, Wrathion pulled ahead and Anduin fell further and further behind until, finally, he faltered and fell face down in the snow and didn't get up. "Anduin!" He rushed back to him, wrapping one limp arm around his shoulder to pull the weakened Human back onto his feet. His legs trembled violently and his knees gave out, dragging both of them back down into the snow. Shifting his weight, Wrathion lifted the limp Prince onto his back and continued onwards.

"Wrathion."

"Don't speak you fool! Conserve your strength!"

"Why…are you doing this?"

"Did you think that I'd just leave you there?" he snorted; Wrathion knew that Anduin mistrusted him deeply-he'd made it painfully obvious-but to know he thought so little of him…hurt to say the least.

"I'm…sorry." He could feel the Human's breath against his neck, warm and sweet as it caressed his skin. "…Sorry." Eyelashes fluttering against his shoulder.

"Anduin, listen to me, stay conscious!" He took off running through the snow, knowing that outside help wouldn't be reached in time. Knowing that, despite the Blood Gem, his Black Talons wouldn't reach them until long after the Human had bled to death in his arms. The thought of Anduin dying as he sat by helpless made him reel with pain, as if his heart had been pierced by a sword. Why was it, he had to wonder, that he had to develop such feelings for the one that he could never have. What was it about forbidden fruit that made it so much sweeter despite it being untouchable? Spotting a cave through the white out, he made for it in hopes of shelter. "Don't close your eyes, Anduin! Stay with me!" But the other Prince had already fallen limp against him. Laying him down on his back in the cave, Wrathion ripping away Anduin's shirt without regard for the cold to get at the wound; open flesh, raw and deep red, white bone glinting out against colorless skin painted by scarlet blood; it coated Wrathion's hands when he touched him. Anduin, unconscious, was breathing but only just as his body shook itself to pieces. _If there's any chance that he'll survive until help can reach us, I have to stop the bleeding! But how? A tourniquet? That would surely be useless by this point! I can't even keep him warm; I'm too young to breathe true fire._ Fire! Of course! He was a Whelp, but he was Black Dragon! Even if all he could manage to cough out were a few sparks, flames had to answer to him when he called. Doing so would drain him completely and likely rendure him unconscious, and that meant that he only had one chance. Closing his eyes, Wrathion concentrated. Invisioning flames. Heat. Focused them into his hand and felt it grow white hot. He could only be thankful that Anduin wasn't conscious as he pressed his hand to the open flesh, cauterizing the wound as best he could to leave a silvery-white burn splashed across his chest and shoulder. _He's marked. Mine now, undisputably. _With that absurdly possessive thought, Wrathion crumpled forward onto the cold cave floor and darkness overwhelmed him.

The room was dark, lit only by the moonlight that filtered in through the window. The room was empty and unfamiliar; we ws alone and stiff and confused, but alive, somehow.

_How am I alive? Between the cold and the wound…I should have bled to death. _Raising a hand to his formerly lain open shoulder, Anduin found a smooth silver scar left behind in its place. All at once it came crashing back; Wrathion saving him from the Mogu that had attacked them when he could have flown away. Wrathion, carrying him when he could walk no further when he could have left him there and saved himself. _He most have cauterized the wound to stop the bleeding._

The sound of the door opening made Anduin look up in surprise; a Human Black Talon stood in the doorway, holding a tray of food.

"So you're awake, White Prince? It's been three days." He said, continuing to the bedside and setting the tray across his lap. "His majesty refused to leave until the Mistweavers had him forcibly removed; he took to sleeping outside your door until it became clear that you would live."

"Wrathion…did what?" _He cares that much for me, even with how I've treated him?_

"You're important to him, in one way or another. I can't say I know why, but it doesn't matter in the end. Not to me." He shrugged. "Eat; from the look of you, you could stand to gain a few pounds."

"Wrathion…can I see him.?"

"Soon."

"Where if he?"

"I'll get him for you; you need to rest."

"Thank you."

"The Black Prince wants you taken care of; this is my job." He grunted, turning to walk out.

"Wait."

He stopped. "Yes, White Prince?"

"If, as you say, you're going to be around-my guard-shouldn't I be allowed your name?"

"My name isn't important."

"There are 40 or so agents that answer to 'Black Talon', so I beg to differ."

At this, the young man smiled. "If you really want to know, it's Talren. Your other guard, the poor tempered Blood Elf you may or may not meet later, her name is Aleria. Now, I was under the impression you wanted to speak to the Black Prince. There will be time to interrogate me later."

"Of course. I apologize." Anduin said. "Thank you, Talren."

"Don't mention it." He walked out. A few minutes passed before the door opened again and Wrathion stepped into the room; he hid his relief at seeing Anduin conscious swiftly.

"You wanted to see me, my Prince?"

Anduin focused on his hands with a sigh, trying and faling to keep his shame from showing on his face. "Yes, I did. Wrathion…you saved my life."

"You said that on Neverest."

"I thought I should say it again." Silence. "…Thank you."

"Of course." The Dragon's eye fluoresced in the dim room; he was watching Anduin, who wore a troubled expression on his handsome face. Stepping forward, he acted on impulse and boldly took the Prince's chin in his hand to make him meet his eyes. "What' wrong, my Prince?"

"I just…I was wrong about you Wrathion. I didn't so much as give you a chance. I was prejudiced-Light forgive me-and you saved my life despite that. To say the least, I'd like to apologize."

"You don't need to."

"…"

"What is it that you wish to say to me, Anduin Wrynn?"

"The offer that you made to me when we first met. To work together to save Azeroth. Is that…is it too late to agree to help you?"

"Do you want to take me up on that offer?"

The elder Prince nodded. "I do." He said. "And I hope…that maybe one day we can be friends?"

At this, the Black Prince smiled. "Oh, my dear Prince, we're already well on our way to that."


	6. Chapter 5

**I know it went really fast in the beginning but I'm terrible at slow pacing etc trying to get better at it; hopefully its better from this point on. Anduin and Wrathion are going to stick around as friends for awhile, despite Wrathion getting a bit impatient; it certainly doesn't help that Anduin is rather oblivious in this sort of thing…X3 All reviews are EXTREMELY appreciated; it helps to know that people actually read and enjoy my work, which serves as incentive to keep writing. I try my best to address all issues and accomidate all suggestions given in reviews. Hope you all enjoy the next chapter even if the lore is possibly a little off (I missed most of the in game action surrounding Wrathion so I'm kinda out of the loop and going off what I could find on wow head etc) Enjoy.**

He sat alone on the stairs outside of the inn in One Keg, staring up at the stars. The night sky was the same over Pandaria as it was over Stormwind city in far away Elywnn, satiny and black, but the stars-thousands and thousands of ancient, shimmering lights like jewels adorning the ball gown of heaven-were different. Arranged differently to form an unfamiliar and entirely foreign sky scape. The moon was full above him, hanging in the sky bright as an untarnished silver piece, glaring down as cold an aloof as the frigid mountain air. Anduin all but jumped out of his skin when a coat was draped around his shoulders. Wide blue eyes were met with familiar glowing red ones as his draconic counterpart sat down beside him with a sharp-toothed grin.

"Wrathion?"

"What are you doing out here all alone with nothing but silk pants and bandages on? Was one brush with hypothermia not enough for you, my Prince?"

"No, I…the cold feels good on my shoulder; numbs some of the pain. It's still rather sore, but I'm on the mend thanks to you." Anduin flexed the afflicted limb in question. "I took the time to do some star gazing and clear my head. I must have…lost myself. I've been told I have a tendancy to…day dream." Looking to his companion once more, he inquired "just how long have I been out here?"

"Long enough to start shivering. I would have asked you to come inside, but you seemed so deep in thought that I didn't want to interrupt you. I thought the coat would help; I didn't mean to startle you."

"You didn't," Anduin told him as he drew the coat tighter about himself, glad for the warmth; only now that he was warming up did he realize just how cold he had become. "Thank you, Wrathion."

"Humans are so fragile; all life is, but mortals-expecially your race-most of all." Wrathion replied. "If you catch cold or ill, it will set back your quest for access to the Vale and negatively impact our ability to protect Azeroth." He hesitated a moment before adding "And it would harm you more. Put you at risk of dying again."

"Careful how you word things; people might start to think you actually care about me." Anduin teased.

"…I…that's absurd! Don't take things out of context!"

"I was only joking," the Human said, smiling at him innocently; Wrathion's heart sped to a gallop and he was suddenly intensely glad for the darkness of night and his own dark skin that hid the blush that had neither his permission nor any good reason to adorn his cheeks in that particular moment. "What about you?"

"Huh?" taken by surprise, Wrathion snapped back to focus just in time to save face. "What about me?"

"You may be wearing a bit more than me, but silk doesn't make for the warmest clothing."

"I'm a dragon, Anduin."

"That means that you don't get cold?"

"Not as easily as Humans do. Don't worry about me."

"If you don't mind, and it's not too private…I don't want to offend your pride or bring up bad blood…and you don't have to answer…" Anduin shifted uncomfortably as Wrathion raised an eyebrow. "I'm curious about…I don't really know much beyond…" frowning at himself, he shook his head and looked away. "Never mind; I'm just sticking my nose where it doesn't belong again."

"Curiousity isn't a crime, Anduin."

"It may as well be, with all the trouble that it gets one into!"

Wrathion couldn't help but smirk at that. "Just ask the damn question if it's tormenting you so much."

"No, it's stupid and I have no right. Prodding where I don't belong into things that are likely painful. Forget I even said anything."

"My mother's name was Nyxondra," from how stiff the Human suddenly became, Wrathion knew that this was exactly the subject he'd backed out of asking about; nodding to himself, he plowed onward before he could think better of it and stop himself. "She was captured and imprisoned by a Red Dragon named Rheastraza who-sanctioned by the Dragon Queen-had come to the Bad Lands to attempt to save the Black Flight by any means necessary; to restore us to what we had been in the very distant past before the Old Gods had wheedled their way into our minds and poisoned us against creation. The Red Flight," Wrathion felt his upper lip curl in distain, "condemned my elder brother for experimenting on Dragon Kind, the very same crime that they themselves went on to commit! They did the same thing, worse even, to my siblings! To me! Mortal 'heroes' of the Alliance and the Horde; she hired them-disguised as a goblin-to do her dirty work for her! To collect the eggs of my wild kin. To kill my siblings who had hatched and escaped. To steal the eggs that she had forced my mother to lay-mine amongst them-from her. To recover a Titan artifact and take the entire hellish package to a Gnome by name of Doctor Blam! He used the artifact to piece me together from bits and pieces of the corpses of my siblings! Painful! Horrifying! Fatal to my entire clutch; I was the only one who survived! My mother wanted me back, despite the unnatural abomination that I'd been transformed into! She wanted me back because I was her child, but Rheastraza had her killed! I hated her. _Hated _her with a hatred that consumed my heart in the way that a raging fire consumes the dried grass of a plainsland! Wanted her dead-to rip her apart with my own fangs and claws-before I'd even hatched! But then, she began to speak to me. Soothe me. Sing to me. Encourage me. She hid my egg from the Black Flight members who hunted me amongst her own clutch, and cared for my with equal tenderness. I forgave her. Came to love her. And had it ended with her, I'd even have been able to forgive the Red Flight for their transgressions with time. But it didn't end there. My Father killed her, would have killed me too-his own son-had she not sent me away to the Vermillion Redoubt far away in the Twilight Highlands. When my egg arrive, I _heard_ them scheming! About holding me prisoner indefinitely! Controlling me as if I were a puppet and destroying me on a whim, as if I were an object of their pleasure, if I failed to live up to their plans for the future of Dragon kind. I was resigned to it; trapped in that egg, there was nothing I could do. Then, he came. Fahrad, the leader of the Rogues of Ravenholdt. He smuggled my egg from the Redoubt and brought me safely to the Ravenholdt manor in Hillsbrad, where he freed me from my egg and helped me grow strong. Helped me thwart my Father and kill the remainder of my Flight when I came to realize that they were too corrupted, too far gone, to be saved. None of them could be spared. Even him."

"Wait…" Anduin's eyes widened in shock "he was a-!?"

"Yes. The last of my corrupted kin; he'd been in mortal guise so long that he himself had almost forgotten what he was, but I had known from the beginning; Dragons can recognize each other. I knew what he was. Knew what he fate would be. Knew that I shouldn't become attached to him, but in the end I couldn't stop myself!" For a moment Wrathion visibly struggled with tears; he continued only once he'd regained his usual icy composure. "I confronted him, and when I did the dark whispers finally overtook him as I knew they would. He attacked…I had no choice. I am the last of the Black Flight by my own hand. I killed the others. I killed many of the Red Flight too, when they came to kidnap and later to kill me! I am not corrupted by the Old Gods, but that doesn't make me any less of a monster."

"We all have to make hard decisions, Wrathion. In the end, we only do what we must. The Light condemns the truly wicked, but it also redeems those who seek forgiveness. You're not a monster. They were."

"How can you say that even knowing all of the blood that is on my hands!How can you say I'm not a monster!" He'd lived a total of two years, but he'd seen so much. So much horror. So much blood. And most of it was by his order if not his direct hand. He was alone. Alone without Fahrad at his side; he'd murdered the man-the Dragon-that had raised him like a father should have. He wanted the mortal that sat stoicly before him to look at him with the horror and hatred that he had on the night that they'd first met. He wanted him to run to scream. And he would chase him. Not to cause harm but because he didn't want to be alone anymore. He couldn't take another minute of the solitude of being the last; of reaching out across the world for any trace of the familiar and finding…nothing. Cold. Darkness. He wanted to scream. Anduin only stared at him in the same, infuriatingly calm way he always did.

"If you were a monster, you wouldn't regret what you did. It's clear to me, regardless of how you attempt to hide it, that you do." Was he hallucinating, of was an Angelic aura visibly shinning from the Human before him. Anduin sighed and shook his head. "You opened up to me about your past, so I guess I owe you mine." A sadness came over the Prince quite suddenly, dulling the light as he bowed his head to focus on his hands clasped in his lap. "All that I remember of my mother is her smile. I am told that he name was Tiffen. Told that my parents loved each other-and loved me-more than anything in the world, despite their marriage being arranged and having originally gotten off to a rocky start. Told that I look like her-that I have her features, her hair-but that I have my Father's eyes. I never got to know her; she was killed when I was only a few months old. Killed by a stone thrown in a riot caused by Lady Prestor's-Onxyia's-plot to bring Stormwind down from within. But that was only to beginning of her plan; when I was a few years older, she struck again; my Father went missing en route to a diplomatic mission to the then warchief of the Horde, Thrall. Without his memories, he was sold into slavery and ended up as a gladiator for the Orcs. I was put on the throne at 8 years old to serve as a figure head while Onyxia ran things behind the scene to her liking. But what she didn't know what that I was well in tune with the Light even as a young boy; it told me that something was wrong and it sent me aid in the form of a powerful Paladin, Bolvar Fordragon. When a false version of my Father was sent to replace me, Bolvar helped me to thwart Onyxia before her plan could come to full fruitation; furious, she kidnaped me and took me back to her lair, intending to feed me to her whelps. My real Father, the true Varian, with the unexpected help of the Wolf Ancient Goldrinn, returned to Stormwind in time to save me. Onyxia was slain, but…I suppose I never fully recovered from the trauma. Never forgave Onxyia or her flight-your Flight-for what she had done to me and to my family. It was only made worse when Deathwing destroyed half of the city during the Cataclysm."

"Looks like we've both been through own specially kinds of Hell." Wrathion rasped dryly.

"Indeed," Anduin said with a fleeting smile. For a long time the only sound was the faint settling of the snow that had begun to fall.

"Like I told you, the goal of Rheastraza was to remake the Black Flight as we had been in Ancient times just after the departure of the Titans. She succeeded, in a way, with me." Wrathion finally said. "I can feel the land. It's heartbeat. It's life force. I'm instinctually driven to protect Azeroth itself, and by default all its inhabitants and peoples, no matter what happens regardless of the cost to me. I am an infant Dragon Aspect with no Flight, the 'Earth Warder' and the last truly immortal dragon, the Titan given powers of the other Aspects expended in the fight with my Father. And I have a question to ask you, Anduin Wrynn."

"Did you insert that introduction in hopes that I would address you in a way that I haven't been before, 'oh your majesty the Black Prince, Earth warder of Azeroth your immortal magnificence'?" Anduin audibly snorted with the force of his surpressed giggles.

"We may be friends now but that does not give you a free pass to mock me, mortal!" Wrathion snapped back without any real force, which only made the Human erupt into a full-out attack of laughter. Normally he'd have strangled the impotent human for daring to mock him, but Anduin's laughter-even at his own expense-was so sweet that he couldn't bare to make it stop. "I meant it to serve as a comparison! I know that you are not a Human. Not a normal one, at least. There is far more to you, more-it would seem-than even you realize! You're a priest, a highly adept one by your own admission. Do you feel the same way with the Light as I do with the Earth?"

Anduin's laughter cut off (much to Wrathion's well hidden displeasure) as he abruptly became quite serious. "Do I…? I suppose. I don't feel the desire to protect the Light; the Light doesn't need to protection of a mortal, and to claim such is heresy. But I do feel very close to it. I've never had trouble calling or directing it; even before I could walk, I'm told, I've been able to call upon and command high level spells of both Holy and-though I prefer not to use it unless absolutely necessary-shadow magic. The Light is….my escape. My sanctuary. Sometimes…it even feels like a physical part of me; it's always there. I've been told that this isn't normal. The Prophet Velen-leader of the Dreani and my mentor-told me once that he had a vision about me. Told me that I was chosen by the Light, that it had claimed me as its champion to do something great. For a long time, I had no idea what that meant. But now I do." Anduin raised his eyes to meet Wrathion's again, and the sadness in his face had been replaced by an unshakeable conviction. "I know that the Light called me to save Azeroth; now that the blind of prejudice has been lifted from my eyes, I see that the Light brought the two of us together for that reason. From the beginning, our fates have been intertwined."

"I believe that too." Wrathion tried to ignore the tingle that shot up his spine at the thought of all the possible implications that the Prince most certainly hadn't meant his last words to mean as his solemn expression twisted upwards into a smirk. "I also believe that we should both be off to bed, as it will be dawn in an hour."

"That late already? How time flies!" Wrathion watched appreciatively as Anduin stood up and stretched before retreating into the inn after a casual exchange of 'good night'. Once he was gone, Wrathion turned his eyes to the heavens once again.

_Anduin Wrynn, it surely isn't possible that you are a Human._ He thought with a sigh. _No. I know what a Human is and you are not one. You are an Angel trapped in a mortal's skin. _With that thought left to the night, Wrathion, too, retired to his bedroom to sleep.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Turtles?" Anduin sounded so surprised that it were as if the entire concept was absurd to him.

"Turtles." Wrathion confirmed, fighting to keep a straight face at the sight of Anduin's expression.

"But…wouldn't walking…be faster?"

"A different type of turtle, my Prince," he explained patiently. "The Pandaren's mounts, Dragon Turtles, are quite fast. Faster than some horses, even."

"Dragon…turtles?" At this point, the Prince was probably imagining a giant fire breathing turtle with wings. Wrathion snorted at the mental image.

"No relation to Dragon-kind what so ever; you remember the Wyrmhorn Turtles in the Valley of the Four Winds; I'm sure that you saw at least one of them?"

"Yes; one bit me, so I distinctly remember them."

Wrathion could no longer keep the amused grin off of his face at the news. "Imagine that, but 10-times bigger."

"I see." With a sigh, Anduin flopped down into a nearby chair with none of the usual stiff grace of a royal that he took pains to exude to others; a sign that he really was beginning to trust Wrathion as much as he said, even if that were only just a little bit. Then again, he supposed, he'd already seen him at his weakest having dragged him up a mountain as he lay at Death's door. "I'm a healer myself so I understand the whole idea of 'rest your injury; don't strain yourself'. Light, I've said it a hundred times by now! What I don't understand is how walking on my feet which are attached to my legs would put me at risk of straining my shoulder."

"You lost half of your blood volume in a stage three hemorage and almost died! Your arm may be where the injury is located, but it's effects are by no means isolated there; your entire body still needs to recouperate from the trauma. If we're not careful, you could strain yourself and go into shock." Even if he was simply stringing together and regurgitating phrases that he'd heard the healers throw out over the past week it made him feel intelligent-not that he wasn't already _Very_ intelligent anyway-and Anduin certainly seemed to understand and appreciate having such vocabulary tossed at him; he smiled slightly and shook his head, blonde hair shining like fire in the light of the afternoon sun that streamed in through the window behind him. His good arm was slung casually over the back of the chair on which he sat, legs crossed.

"And just where, might I ask, would we be getting these turtles?"

"Talren has retrieved some for us already; they're waiting outside."

"So we'll be setting off now?"

"Wouldn't you rather have breakfast first?"

"Wrathion, it's almost 2."

"Lunch then." As Wrathion grinned at him again the door to the room opened to reveal a pandaren maid carrying a tray. "I've noticed that you have a sweet tooth, so I had dishes prepared accordingly; if you're not spoiled when you're injured, you're not spoiled ever. I don't want to hear a word about it from you."

Even if Anduin had wanted to protest the shock of what occupied the tray prevented him from doing so; it looked like Wrathion had sent out his black talons to raid a bakery. Pancakes drowned in syrup, pastries, an entire pie, a two tier cake, a bowl of candy, a small dish of what looked like pure chocolate syrup, a tub of ice cream and a pitcher of tea sweetened with so much sugar that an inch thick layer of white was visible in the bottom.

"Uh, thank you Wrathion but…don't think I don't appreciate you doing this, It's just…I can't eat all of this."

"I know," the dragon replied as he calmly carved off half of the cake for himself. "But I don't recall ever saying that _all _of it was for you anyway, my Prince."

"I didn't think…dragons liked sweets."

"Everyone likes sweets, don't be ridiculous."

Silence fell between them as they both busied themselves with eating; Wrathion almost jumped out of his skin when Anduin-quite suddenly and without any perceivable reason, to his company at least-burst into laughter. "What is it now?"

"You have pink icing and cake crumbs all over your face!" he snorted, pulling a silk handkerchief from his pocket as he shook his head. "You're a mess." Before Wrathion had realized what was going on, Anduin had crossed the room, knelt down to his eye level and reached up with the cloth to clean the sticky substance off his face, not seeming to notice that the Dragon's breathing had suddenly become erratic.

_His hand. It's so warm. His touch so gentle. _

"There," Anduin sounded more than pleased with himself as he stood up, folding the handkerchief and setting it down on the table. "Much better."

_What you do to me…it's best you never know the power that you hold. _Wrathion sighed heavily as Anduin left the room, presumable in search of a clean handkerchief and-quite possibly-some painkillers for his shoulder. _You've put me in precarious enough a situation as it is. I am a neutral party-I have to be, in order to achieve the ends for which I have set out-and though I have no choice but to work with you to thwart the Legion before the first Infernal has the chance to fall…you're the crown Prince of the Alliance. Having this much close contact with you, this much contact with you at all, could already be seen as showing the Alliance undue favoritism and may make me an enemy of the Horde. If you or they or anyone were to come to know how I feel…I don't know if my mission would survive that kind of blow. And if I fail, then Azeroth…_ Turning his gaze out of the window, Wrathion got to his feet as well. _My feelings cannot be allowed to get in my way. _


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Dragon turtles were bigger than he'd bargained for, and though the saddles were plush and comfortable Anduin found himself rather much higher off the ground than he would like to be astride something with such a wobbly gate. His turtle was a surprisingly vibrant emerald green. Wrathion's, of course, black.

"You look a bit uncomfortable, my Prince." Unlike the nervous Human, Wrathion sat calmly in the saddle of his turtle, reclined in the seat with his feet propped up and his arms behind his head.

"Do I?" Anduin glanced down at the ground nervously once more before meeting the Dragon's red gaze. "I geuss it's just…high."

"Are you afraid of heights? Is that what was behind your apparent terror at the thought of using a kite as transport?"

"I'm not afraid of heights, no. I am afraid of toppling off and hurting my shoulder more; I saw these things walking earlier and with the amount the seats move to each side and the lack of seat belts-."

"You're not going to fall, if that's what you're worried about. You can sleep on these things; the Pandaren do, surprise surprise."

Anduin didn't seem overly reassured, but made no further resistance to the idea of ridding the turtles across Kunlai to the Temple in the East. They set out, Wrathion snickering at the sight of the other Prince holding on to the edge of his seat so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The air began to warm as they proceeded down the mountain, the snow giving way to grass baked golden brown by the sun. As the ride progressed Anduin steadily relaxed, sitting back in his chair and releasing his death grip on the fabric, ultimately coming to assume a posture similar to Wrathion's. A Northwind hawk flew, shrieking, overhead before diving down and snatching some poor animal up its claws and flying away. "I've been meaning to ask…you're a Dragon, so I assume that means that you can fly?"

"I can't soar for miles like a grown Wyrm, but I am able to go considerable distances, yes. Why?"

"Well…I've been thinking…it makes nervous, but…they seem safe, considering that none of your Black Talons have fallen to their deaths because the paper tore under their weight or the frame collapsed." Anduin shuddered. "I doubt you'll be able to get your hands on a gryphon, even with all of your sources, and-even if we did run into my Father's forces-the Alliance would try to drag me back home to Stormwind should they see me. Not only is being confined to land travel much slower, it's also potentially dangerous so I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble, Talren or one of the other Black Talons could teach me to…use a kite. When there's time."

Admittedly, the thought of somehow arranging travel by air hadn't so much as crossed Wrathion's mind though to his credit he'd been distracted by…Anduin. Dispite his resolve to the contrary, the Human continued to be exceedingly unintentionally and even obliviously distracting! It was infuriating. "It is indeed a good idea for you to learn to travel by air as quickly as possible. I hadn't thought about it until you brought it up, but you're right. It is much slower, and it is dangerous indeed." After thinking things over for a moment, Wrathion decided "Talren will start teaching you to use a Kite when we arrive at the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. I doubt that you'd appreciate any further delay to your audience with the White Tiger, my Prince."

"You talk about me as if I'm some ill-tempered biddy." Anduin chided, rolling his blue eyes. "You like this about me, you hate this about me. What are you going to do, pick me apart and select from the pieces that which you prefer?"

"There's no need to get snappish. Have you not been sleeping enough of late, my dear Prince? Has the pain in your shoulder kept you awake?"

"Sleeping too much, actually. And quit it with your mock concern!"

Maybe Anduin's perception of him hadn't changed quite as much as he had hoped it had. "Who said that it was mock concern."

"The tone of your voice. The fact that you're smirking at me doesn't help."

"Grumpy from not sleeping enough. Grumpy from sleeping too much. Grumpy either way. Hopefully, a full day of travel will sufficiently tire you out and a night of sleep in camp will fix your mood."

"Camp?" Anduin repeated. "Just how far away from One Keg is the temple?"

"About a day and a half of travel. We could reasonably travel through the night, but…I think it best the we obey the advice of the healers and not risk straining you just yet." Wrathion replied. "We'll travel until sunset, rest for the night in camp, and then carry on in the morning."

"Sounds fine to me," the Human fell silent and didn't speak again. The quite stretched between them for the next few hours into a yawning maw of isolation. Then, finally, just as Wrathion was about to lose his mind he heard Anduin say "Talren" in a surprised voice. The young Rogue had indeed appeared before them; for a Black Talon to break stealth without being called out to meant something was definitely amiss.

"Black Prince, White Prince, it may be wise to choose another route. This rode passing directly between the Villages of East Wind Rest, held by the Horde, and West Wind Rest, held by the Alliance. There is no way that we can pass this way and avoid being seen by at least one of them; as the Admiral of the Alliance and his SI:7 are currently at West Wind there is no way that White Prince Anduin would avoid being recognized."

"Another unforeseen complication." Wrathion said with a sigh. "What do you think of this, Anduin. Should we risk it and continue, or find another path?"

"I say risk it; it'd rather not delay longer that we already have."

"But an Alliance patrol is up ahead on the road, White Prince."

"I'll handle it. Let's go." The force and conviction behind his voice surprised Wrathion, and made it very clear that he wasn't bluffing. The Prince directed his mount forward and pulled out ahead of them, leaving Wrathion to trail behind as Talren-without questioning either of his Lords-slipped back into the shadows. A few minutes further passed before the mounted Alliance patrol appeared on the not too distant horizon. They approached, reached them and had gotten half way passed them before the man at the front-presumably the leader-doubled back.

"Prince Wrynn!" Anduin grimaced, then turned in the saddle to observe the one who had addressed him. Wrathion stopped to watch, curious as to why he didn't simply attempt to give them the slip.

"I'm afraid you've mistaken me." He said.

"No, Prince. I was on your Father's personal guard for half of your life. I know when I see you, Young Lord Anduin." Now the other soliders were beginning to take notice.

"No," Anduin insisted, and now his voice had taken on a satiny, honeyed, irresistibly compelling tone; Wrathion saw it then, the black light flickering in his grey eyes that was anything but holy and then he realized exactly what it was the Prince was doing. "You've the wrong man, I'm afraid. I am not your Prince. You do not know me. Please, we've places we need to be and you have work that you ought to be doing. Allow us to continue; we'll cause you no trouble."

"I…" for a moment the man seemed to be resisting, but his will was no match for the young Prince before him and his mind was soon utterly crushed beneath the sway of Anduin's desires. After a moment of looking dazed, he shook his head as if to clear it. "I apologize, you must understand you so resemble our Prince and his Father…he's worried sick and near to coming here himself in search of him. Forgive me for troubling you with this. Please, continue on your way." Returning to his horse the man mounted up and the party continued onwards without further adue.

"You mind controlled him." Wrathion said once they were out of ear shot. "Impressive."

"I told you that I was as adept at Shadow magic as I am at Holy magic." Anduin made a face, as if he'd just tasted something foul. "I simply prefer not to, it makes me feel…weird."

"A flawless display; I've never once seen better, and though I may be young I've come into contact with a great many malevolent things. Knowing you, even if you did one day fine yourself preferring to practice the arts of shadow, you'd find some way to do it for the greater good."

"That's the thing about Shadow magic, Wrathion. Use it occasionally and you control it. Use it too much, and there's comes a point where it controls you. Now, let's get moving. According to you, we still have a long way to go."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Baring the run in that they had had with the Alliance, nothing eventful had happened to them that day. Having at last reached the place where they'd planned ahead at making camp just before sunset, they'd build a fire eaten dinner and settled in for the night. Wrathion had remained at his seat beside the fire, the leaping flames lulling him into a dreamlike state of waking daze. Black talons patrolled around their camp out of sight in the shadows, keeping watch; he could sense their positions through the Blood Gems that they each wore. When last he'd checked, Anduin had been sitting with him at the fire; coming to rather suddenly, he found himself alone.

"Anduin?" looking around, he found the Prince nowhere to be seen. _Perhaps he retired to his tent already? _Getting to his feet, Wrathion crossed the open ground to where the two tents had been erected and peered into first one and then the other. No Anduin. Now he was getting nervous. Could he have run off? Surely not; the Black Talons would have stopped him. And had something come around, they'd have stopped it too. So where? Coming around the side of the tent he saw him and relaxed, the nervous tension leaving his body all at once. Anduin sat against a rock, indian style on the ground with his hands in his lap and his eyes closed. A pale golden aura surrounded him, and a smile unlike any that Wrathion had seen him wear before adorned his handsome face. "Anduin, there you are." No answer. "What…are you doing?" Again, silence. _Is he ignoring me? _Upon getting a little closer, he realized exactly what was going on. The young priest had put himself into a meditative trance, and the aura that shown off him was the presence of the Light. The Light…he'd heard it spoken of many times by many different beings, but most often during his recent conversation with Anduin at One Keg. It left him curious, to say the least, as to what it really was. How was it called upon. Was it a being? A presence? A force? Was it truly as powerful as it was acclaimed to be? He drew even closer, reaching out to touch the shadow that the Light cast on the hard cold ground. _I want to determine what this Light truly is. And anything in the way won't do. _Without really thinking about what he was doing, he felt the illusion of a Human form slipping away from him as he shrunk down to his true form and sat up on his hind legs to reach up towards the aura with one paw. It startled him a great deal when it moved towards him like something alive, and he flinched back a moment before extending the paw again. It was warm and soft, and though it didn't seem to know quite what to make of him it clearly realized that he wasn't hostile. _How curious. I can touch it, as if it has a physical form. Does it have a scent? A taste, perhaps? _Before he'd realized what he was doing, he'd crawled into the Human's lap and set one paw against his chest in an attempt to get close enough to investigate these new inquiries. When warm, gentle hands closed around his sides he emitted a small shriek of surprise that was so completely whelp like that it was more than a little embaressing.

"Wrathion," the Light faded slowly from sight now that Anduin's trance had been broken. "What are you doing?"

_How clumsy of me! I disturbed him and he caught me out, damn it! _"I was…nothing! It's cold and the fire doesn't help. You were warm. What are you doing!" Wrathion squirmed in Anduin's gentle grasp as he was picked up and set back in his lap.

"You said that you were cold and that I was warm. No reason to risk you getting sick, Wrathion. Wouldn't want to put our plans for Azeroth behind schedule." He said, sitting back against the rock with a small sigh and closing his eyes again but he did not resume his trance. Perching on his knee for a moment he observed him through narrowed red eyes with his head titled to one side as if trying to discern some unseen motive behind his actions. Then, he sighed and released a curl of smoke from his thin snout before curling up against Anduin's chest and closing his eyes as well, snuggling closer almost involuntarilly. A moment passed before the Human spoke again. "I didn't think you'd show such affection, Wrathion."

"I didn't think you'd let me touch you, Anduin Wrynn." He countered dubiously.

"Not long ago, I wouldn't have. But things have changed between us; I thought we'd both made that more than clear." Silence for a moment before Anduin reached up, almost without realizing what he was doing, and stroked his shimmering black scales with long graceful fingers making the Whelp twitch. He stopped immediately. "I'm sorry. I…didn't even realize-."

"No, don't apologize," he curled his thin tail around Anduin's wrist in an attempt to keep him from pulling any further away. "That felt good. Do it again."

Now Anduin laughed. "Yes, your majesty." Despite the friendly barb, he did as Wrathion asked. "You know, even back when I didn't trust you near as far as I could throw you-and considering your size I'd be willing the bet that I could throw you pretty far-in the Tavern in the Mists, with you…was the safest I had felt in a long time. Ever since the flag ship went down off the coast of Pandaria…it was the first moment I could relax."

"That you find me so trust worthy is reassuring."

"Yes, well…if we're going to work together towards ends that are so noble-and so very dangerous-we will need to trust in each other with our lives, will we not?"

"Indeed we will, my Prince."

"…I'd be willing to say that I trust you that much, Wrathion. Black Dragon or not."

"As I would be willing to say the same." Anduin didn't speak again; it wasn't long before his breathing became deep and even. Resting his head against the Human's chest again, he was swiftly lulled into sleep as well by the steady rhythm of Anduin's heart.


	10. Chapter 9

**I'm trying not to jam too much in at once considering the fact that I plan this fic to be rather long. They'll be headed back to the Tavern after Anduin gets to satisfy his curiousity about the vale, and then the business with the champions of both factions will be introduced to him; a perhaps a female blood elf may give Wrathion some pointers on how he shouldn't worry about personal affairs affecting his neutrality because those who care may not be as neutral as they say… They'll get around to timeless isles eventually, but didn't that happen after Anduin got crushed by the Bell? There will be Anduin's perspective on his friendship with Wrathion coming soon, but he'd hardly be able to reflect for any length of time with a nosy dragon bothering him so he's waiting until he's alone to think; he can't even meditate without Wrathion butting in. The intensity of Wrathion's worry about the Burning Legion will soon ratchet up into something rather close to paranoia as well, which Anduin may have to do something about before the stress becomes debilitating. On top of that, perhaps-provided Wrathion can swallow his pride long enough to ask for favors-Anduin may not have to worry about dying of old age for very long…we'll see. As for visiting with the other celestials for their blessings…I may or may not put that in; I was looking for a way to explain just how Anduin ended up at the Crane Temple if he was with Wrathion the whole time. Will update again soon. X3**

After all of the trouble they'd taken to hitch up the tents had been for nothing in the end, as rather than sleeping in the them the two companions had slept curled up together against that rock beneath the stars. Needless to say, though Wrathion had slept in great comfort curled against the Human's softness Anduin had been left undeniably stiff and it had showed through in his posture of clear discomfort as the pair made their way over the last remaining distance between them and the Temple of the White Tiger.

"Just what I needed after a night spent sleeping against a rock," he heard Anduin grumble under his breath. "A couple hundred stairs." Wrathion fought back a grin and didn't comment. They ascended the staircase together; the higher up they went the thinner the air became and though Wrathion was unaffected Anduin was soon forced to breathe through his mouth to get in the amount of air required by his body; slouched over and panting was most definitely not the most dignified of posture, especially for a Prince, so when the stairs were finally at end the pair stopped for a moment to allow the Human to collect himself into something more…presentable for his pride. Once he had done so, the pair continued onwards and stepped through the Temple Doors. Xuen, the White Tiger Celestial, stood before them in the large room that blossomed out from the entrance but he was not alone. Taren Zhu, leader of the Shadow Pan, was there as well and seemed to be engrossed in a heated appeal to the Celestial which had been going on for quite some time.

"White Tiger, you cannot be thinking of allowing this! These strangers, these Horde, these Alliance, are Dangerous! To my people. To our way of life. To Pandaria itself. Everywhere they go, the Sha follow; they bring with them the plague of war and leave destruction in their wake. For what reason would you even consider allowing them into the Sacred grounds of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms; they would only destroy it too!"

"I have told you before, Taran Zhu, that I will not make my decision without a representative of the outsiders being present here to speak for them and to defend them." The White Tiger rumbled in response before shifting his gaze to Anduin. "This boy will serve that purpose well. Come forward, Human. What would you say to counter this?"

"I…" Anduin faltered for a moment at suddenly being put on the spot. But then his usual negotiation abilities kicked in and he launched full force into the debate. "I am Anduin Wrynn, Prince of the Alliance. I cannot say that I know the motivations of the Horde, but my people are here in this land searching for me in hopes that they can bring me home safely; I've been stranded here since my ship went down off the coast, you see."

"If you are all that they want, then go back to them! Go back to them, take them and leave!" The Pandaren snapped at him, yellow eyes narrowing angrily from beneath his bamboo hat. "You and your kind have caused enough damage here; leave before you destroy our lands further!"

"I cannot." The leader of the Shadow Pan was quite the intimidating figure, and Wrathion couldn't help but be at least a little bit impressed that Anduin didn't quail in the least beneath his furious glare.

"You can leave and you will leave if I must drag you back to your people myself!"

"Wait, Taren." Xuen interrupted. "This boy…has a purpose for being here. A purpose for not going back to his people and allowing them to take him home. So tell me, Anduin Wrynn Prince of the Alliance, just why it is that you cannot leave?"

"I seek to study the healing powers that the waters of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms is said to possess." He explained. "I believe that they hold secrets that I may use to help my people and better our lives back home. As such, I cannot leave here before I have had the opportunity to fully investigate these claims. That is why I have come before you, Lord White Tiger. I seek to be allowed entrance into the Vale."

"You mustn't allow this White Tiger! He may only be a cub, but by his own admission others of his kind will go running after him!"

"Hmmm." The White Tiger turned his back on them both and began to pace the length of the room at a slow and measured pace. "You, Taren, present me with valid concerns. You, Prince Anduin Wrynn, present me with admirable motives. So a trial shall be held for you. Allow me to look into your heart; if I find ill influence there, hatred doubt or violence, then we shall see if you can face it. If you can, you shall be allowed beyond the gates. If you cannot…I would advise that you forgo your quest and leave this land."

"I will not tell you with certainty that I will leave if I fail…but none the less, I agree to your trial White Tiger."

"Very well, Prince Anduin Wrynn. Come forward, and let your heart be weighed." He could have imagined the fleeting glance that the Human cast his way before he advanced, without showing a trace of the nervousness he must surely have felt, to stand before the White Tiger and closed his eyes as the Celestial examined him. For a long time, the White Tiger was silent. "I see. You have seen war, boy. Violence has touched you on many occasions."

"My people are fighters, yes. But we have had to be; we come from a violent land! We've fought of Demons! We've fought off Death! We've even fought off the very end of the world itself! We are warriors and we are scared, but we have learned much. And we are more than that!"

"Hatred Fear and Anger resided in your heart and showed themselves to you and through your actions as what your people know as prejudice."

"See! As I told you, even the youngest of them carry nothing but-!"

"Hold your judgement, Taren. This boy harbored those emotions once, but no longer. By his own hand, he has recognized and purged them from his being of his own power. He does not need my help to do so. He no longer needs to do so." Turning his attention away from the Pandaren, Xuen continued "I have made my decision; the gates shall be opened. Not just for you, Anduin Wrynn, but for all. I will need time to gather and consult with the other Celestials. For now, you and your friend may leave. I will meet you at the Gate in two day's time."

"Thank you, White Tiger. We shall take out leave." Wrathion followed the Human Prince out of the Temple without having to be asked. Only once they had left the shadows of the room behind did he speak.

"You've done it, my Prince! You conducted yourself with incredible aplomb!"

"Negotiations always have been something I was good at; how do you think I managed to gain the respect and even the friendship of some of the Horde's leaders?" Anduin replied, the serious expression not breaking from his face. "It isn't over yet, Wrathion. It is clear that both my people and the Horde are reeking havoc on these lands; both of their own devices and even more so when they clash. You heard the leader of the Shadow Pan. The Sha…and we have done this with the war that we brought here; if something isn't done, I fear that the Pandaren-all of Pandaria-will be swallowed by a war that was never their own and that it will be my fault all because I didn't go back with them! I know that Azeroth is our primary goal-that the Legion could attack at any day and destroy everything-but…we…I, at least, have to put a stop to this before it gets worse. I-."

Wrathion didn't know why, but his first compulsion to calm the Prince was by resting a hand on his arm. "Anduin," his calm gaze was met by a highly troubled blue one, "we will. But let us take this one thing at a time. The Vale is what is before us now. For the moment, at least, the conflict between the Alliance and the Horde can wait; they've yet to truly make landfall. When they do, I promise you that we-together-will do all that we can to address the issue while working to continue preparing the world for the Legion's arrival. This I swear on my honor; you have my word."

"Wrathion, I…" for a long moment Anduin struggled, searching for the words that he wanted to say. Finally, unable to find the right ones, he settled for a mere "thank you."

"Yes, well," the Dragon sighed, "is that not what friends are for?"


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Wrathion was rather unimpressed if a bit curious with his surroundings, but Anduin was enthralled. The Human's mouth was slightly open in an expression of awe, blue eyes wide and head on a swivel trying and failing to take in everything at once. He'd been that way since the four Celestials-White Tiger, Red Crane, Jade Serpent, and Black Ox-had arrived on the scene and opened the gate to allow them into the Vale and the young Dragon was beginning to worry that, if his face remained as it was for much longer, Anduin's eyes would pop out of his head and roll away. The grass around them formed and expansive sea of shimmering gold that rippled in the wind, black-brown trunks of trees standing out in stark contrast to the pink and orange and golden leaves that adorned their branches. A palace that had been built by the Mogu centuries ago during their reign-Mogu'shan-rose up in the distance, flanked by a pair of enormous statues carved in the likeness of Mogu warriors brandishing enormous spears. A small red and golden pagoda could be seen not far away just off of the cobble stoned road known as the Emporer's Approach, standing on the banks of a deep pond of clear water filled with ruby scaled fish and fed by a crystalline river. Thundermaw Wolves lined the banks, electricity crackling in their dark blue fur. Enormous hawks perched in many of the trees. Graceful pure white cranes picked their way through the Summer Fields in search of insects to eat. Anduin made a bee line for the Pagoda leaving Wrathion to follow behind, and the pair found a trio of Pandaren awaiting them within, a tamed tiger asleep at their feet.

"Ah, you must be the one who convinced the White Tiger to open the gates to the Vale at long last." One of them said upon catching sight of Anduin. "It is said that you conducted yourself well, most especially for one so young."

"Diplomacy has always been a talent of mine," Anduin replied. "Were you also informed of my purpose for coming here?"

"I was told you were interested in the properties of the waters of the Vale. I take it that you are a healer?"

"I am. A priest."

"We are the Golden Lotus, an order of those chosen by the August Celestials to protect and nurture these sacred lands. You are here for noble and commendable purpose; allow me to welcome as a friend young Prince."

"Thank you."

"You and your companions will find lodging in the Shrine of Seven Stars to the South East of here." The Pandaren indicated the aforementioned building. "The one most well suited to help you on your quest would likely be Ashyo, a Jinyu pooltender. You'll find him nearby, waiting for you. Should you need anything, do not be afraid to ask for it."

"Of course. I'll keep that in mind." Feeling Wrathion's hand come down on his shoulder, Anduin turned to look up at him. "Something the matter?"

"You may find watching the ripples in the calm waters of a pool interesting but I do not share your…excitement on the matter. There are, I am sure, other things around the Vale better served by my attentions. So, if it is not too much trouble for you, perhaps we might part ways for the day?"

For a moment Anduin stared at him, then he nodded and flashed his usual gentle smile. "I don't mind at all. As a matter of fact, perhaps some time alone would be good for both of us. So…I'll see you later, then."

"I won't be missing dinner if that's what you're worried about." The Dragon snorted, straightening his turban as he began to walk out. "Oh, and my dear Prince, do be prepared to begin learning to fly a kite after dinner; Talren is generous enough to allow you to use his."

"Of course, Wrathion." They parted ways, Wrathion going off to the Light only knew where to entertain himself as Anduin set out in search of Ashyo. He found the Jinyu without too much trouble, standing on the bank of the pool with his Waterspeakers staff in the water. He came to a stop a few feet away, sitting down on a rock to watch not wanting to disturb him.

"So you have come," removing his staff from the water, the Jinyu turned to face him. "Prince Wrynn, word of you and your pursuits had reached me through the waters; they speak of you and your Draconic company. And of what you seek."

"The water…_spoke_ to you?" Anduin repeated. He'd heard Shaman speak of the elements as if they were alive, but no matter how much he was spoken too in that context he felt as if he would never get used to it having never experienced such a thing himself.

"Indeed," the Jinyu confirmed. "And it has told me that it is willing to speak to you as well, provided that you are willing to listen."

Not the most absurd idea that he had ever heard; that was the sad part. "Tell me how."

"Prolonged contact with the water will, in time, grant you the ability to hear it speak; such has been evidenced in what the Pandaren call the 'Golden Dream'."

"Contact with the water?" Anduin sincerely hoped that this wouldn't land him in any compromising position the likes of which Wrathion would no doubt mock him for should he be found.

"You'd get no wetter than soaking your feet would require, but you would have to remain in direct contact with the waters of the Vale for many, so I suggest that you do a comfortable place to do so."

"Thank you, Ashyo. I really appreciate your help." Leaving the Jinyu to what he had been doing, Anduin walked the length of the crystal pool to where a large flat rock sat at the water's edge beneath the shade of a tree's expansive canopy. A Thundermaw wolf was asleep beneath the tree, and as he sat down on the rock it woke and raised its head to observe him before getting to his feet and walking away. Removing his shoes and rolling up the legs of his pants, Anduin put his feet in the water; it was colder than ice, the silty bottom soft beneath his toes. He sat back on his hands and tilted his gaze up to the cloudless pale blue sky. _Wrathion interrupted my meditation before, so I never got a chance to finish…perhaps I should resume, now that I'm alone. _A sweet warm wind blew through the vale, carrying to him the delicate scent of flowers in full bloom. A hawk wheeled freely overhead. He reached down deep within himself for where the Light resided, feeling its familiar warmth come to him and fill him to lighten his heart, but-unlike usual-he didn't slip under into the trance of the Light's warm embrace. Something distracted him. Giving up after a moment of further persistence, Anduin found himself instead sinking down into his own thoughts. _Wrathion…what I thought of him when first we met is very clear to me, and is just as clearly wrong. But to ask myself what I think of him now…that's a really good question. I trust him, of that much I am completely sure. Trust him with my life; he's saved it once before. I want to be friends with him, to get to know him, and he claims that he wants that too and that we are but…he holds me at arm's length, even if he thinks that I don't realize it. Despite having opened up to me willingly about his painful past, I feel as if…he's still holding something back. And I think I might know why. Despite his need of a partner in his endeavors, and regardless of how 'likeminded' of a person I may be, I'm still Alliance. So, it would seem, I have a choice to make; am I the Crown Prince of Stormwind who represents the Alliance above all else, or am I the White Prince who represents the whole of Azeroth above all else? To me, the answer is clear; I am the White Prince. If I believe in Wrathion's fear that the Legion is closing fast upon this world with the intention to destroy it-and I do-than I cannot allow what is best for the Alliance to occupy my mind when I should instead be focusing on protecting Azeroth from its potential destruction looming not far off on the horizon. It will be difficult for me…especially considering my knee-jerk reaction, and my words to Wrathion earlier today, after hearing what Taren Zhu said about the consiquences of the movements of both the Alliance and the Horde in Pandaria. …In the end, I would suppose, that this is for the best; Diplomacy is my thing, while war has always been my Father's. I'll leave the Horde to him._ Disturbed from his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder, his first thought was that Wrathion had hunted him down until he was met with a Blood Elf's fel-green gaze. Night had fallen while he was unaware; the last rays of sunlight were just vanishing below the horizon and his feet had grown so cold that he could no longer feel them. "Aleria."

"White Prince, the Black Prince is sitting down to dinner and wondering where you are." She informed him, voice much colder and far more business-like than Talren's ever was; she was much less friendly than the Human rogue.

"Oh, of course. I'll collect myself and head to meet him," Anduin said as he rose to his feet. "Tell him that I am on my way, and send him my apologies for being late."

"As you wish." Just like that, the rogue was gone. Redoning his shoes, Anduin set off towards the Shrine sparkling in the distance.


	12. Chapter 11

**Sorry for all of the fluff chapters; it will be getting along with things soon**

Chapter 11

A large meal had been set out for them in typical Pandaren stule; Wrathion was-as Aleria had said-already sitting down at the table. As Anduin entered the room, he flashes his sharp teeth in a grin very much like the one he had the first night; he realized with a small start that this was, in fact, the first time they'd shared a real meal-not counting Wrathion's attempt to put him into a sugar coma-since the night they'd first met as well.

"With all of the worry that you seemed to show today over my missing dinner, I'm surprised to see that you almost did."

"When I come across a chance to think, I think. What can I say?" pulling up his chair to the table, Anduin picked up his plate and Wrathion followed suit.

"Might I ask what it was that you were thinking of so deeply?"

"I was thinking of…well, if I were to be completely honest I was thinking of you." Anduin noticed that Wrathion went as stiff as a board when he said this, but-as this could have been for any number of reasons—e passed it off without questioning. "Of our friendship and…of my role in what we're doing here; saving Azeroth."

"Your…role?" Wrathion relaxed and joined him in making his plate. "How do you mean?"

"I haven't questioned you about it, but I have noticed recently that you're…holding something back from me." Again, Wrathion went stiff but this time Anduin's gaze was on his food, and by the time he looked up the Dragon had forced himself to relax. "I think I know why and I can't blame you for it. You sought me out for my help, but you think you can't fully trust me because-regardless of the sympathy I have for the Horde and my own neutral mindset-I'm not really prepared or able to be neutral; that I am the Crown Prince of Stormwind and by that account will always be out for the interests of the Alliance. But you're wrong. I am ready and able, and fully prepared, to be the White Prince. Counterpart to the Black Prince. Neutral; fully and completely. I swear this to you! I will work as willingly with the Horde as with the Alliance, and I'll never put the interests of the Alliance-or anything else-before the defense of Azeroth against all that would threaten it."

"What about the conversation we had at the Temple?" Wrathion asked him, pulling apart his chopsticks.

"I…I'm good at strategy. I'm good at diplomacy. I'm good at negotiation. But I'm a Priest, Wrathion; Anduin Wrynn is no warrior. Varian Wrynn-my Father-is. And no matter how much guilt I feel over the destruction caused by both the Alliance and the Horde in their search for me, it isn't a good idea for me to get involved in it. I'll only make things worse for everyone involved."

"And you think that you'll do better against the Demons?"

"The Light condemns the existence of their kind; reject them with every fiber of my being and every fiber of my being can thus be devoted to driving every last one of those Legion bastards from my world!" Anduin snarled, looking almost fierce as he leapt to his feet and managing to thoroughly impress Wrathion, though he didn't let it show. "_I will not allow Azeroth to fall victim to their Burning Crusade the way that Draenor did!"_

Anduin stood there with jaw clenched and hands fisted and shaking, and Wrathion assumed that this sudden show had come from a small part deep down within him that the normally soft spoken Prince had inherited from his Father; a sleeping Lion that had just sprang awake after being poked with a stick. "I believe you, White Prince. And…" lying was normally so easy and effortless, but this time it left a bitter taste in his mouth, "you were right. I was indeed holding back because I was not fully sure of your…dedication to what it is that we are doing here. But that has now been quite thoroughly resolved. Now…you ought to sit down so that we can finish our meal in time for Talren to start teaching you before all traces of light are lost."

"Oh, right. I'd almost forgotten about that. Where is Talren?"

"Waiting for you outside."

"I'll go and see him right away, than. No longer to keep him waiting any longer than he has to." Cleaning his plate quickly, Anduin set his chopsticks down and hurried out. Wrathion found himself glad that he was gone; the Human was for more perceptive than he appeared to be, and this could grow to be a problem.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Talren wasn't exactly hiding his amusement at Anduin's clear discomfort at the sight of the enormous kite that he held propped against his side with careless ease, his long brown hair done back in its usual ponytail and green eyes flashing.

"The Kite…is that!?" he demanded, taking an involuntary step backwards. "It's even flimsier that I was afraid of!"

"Flimsy? That's what you think of the Pandaren's kites? They look it, don't they. Like the paper would tear beneath your weight," whipping out one of his daggers he took a viscous stab at the ornamental paper and the blade bounced harmlessly off it, "or the frame would collapse." He leaned all of his weight onto the kite; the bamboo frame bent and creaked alarmingly but didn't break. "Has my demonstration made you feel better? I think I have a good 50 pounds on you."

"Maybe…just a little bit. But how…a kite can't take off."

"Normally one would employ the use of a launcher," Talren explained, "but when those aren't around taking off involves a bit more…leg work."

"But how do I ride it? Sit? Lay down? Dangle for my life from the bottom?" That didn't sound at all appealing.

"You crouch."

"Crouch?"

"A crouch is-."

"_I know what a crouch is! But how do you crouch on a kite when you have to take a running start!" _

"Ever been surfing?"

"What's a surfing?"

"…Right, raised in a palace. I forgot. It's when…showing you would be better than trying to explain. Just watch this. Get a good running start…" he took off across the shrine's roof at a sprint, leapt off of the edge with the kite beneath him and, once he was in the arm, pulled himself up into a stance half way between sitting and standing for better control of the craft. After flying in a wide circle around the shrine, he returned with a soft landing and held the kite out to Anduin. "Your turn, White Prince."

"You want me to jump off the roof?" Anduin demanded indignantly.

"Is that a problem?" he said it as if such things were normal. Considering that fact that he was employed by Wrathion…

"No. It isn't. Not at all." His voice was an octave higher than usual.

"Remember, White Prince, running start." He thumped him on the back, making him stumble forwards; Anduin turned that stumble into a run and sprinted across the roof to the edge; upon reaching it he only had time to think _Light, that's high! _before his body froze up and he teetered forwards, lost his grip on the kite and tumbled off the edge. His head smacked against the wall of the shrine hard enough to leave a blue-black bruise over his left eye as his fall was brought to a stop almost as soon as it had started.

"I thought I said running start not trip and fall," Talren snickered, holding tight to the other end of the rope that he'd secured around the Prince's waist at some point while Anduin was unaware; had he not been dangling upside down some 40 feet above the ground he would have marveled at the rogues skills as he checked his pockets to ensure that all of his belongings remained where they should be.

"Make fun of my later, just pull me up!" Anduin wailed, squirming in the rope only to freeze abruptly as he felt the knot give a little bit.

"Right away, my Lord." Talren was laughing as he hauled a mortified Anduin back to safety. "What happened; you just froze up all of a sudden. Looked almost like you'd stepped on a hunter's ice trap."

"I just-!"

"Looked down?"

"Yes!"

"Well, don't look down next time."

"You say that like it's easy!"

"Try again?"

"But the Kite is-!" before he could finish speaking, said Kite flew up over the roof and skidded to a stop not far away. "H-How! Is it magic!"

"No, nothing like that at all. Aleria is waiting down below in case you fell and I didn't catch you quite in time." Talren explained as he retrieved the kite. "Sorry about that shiner by the way."

"It'd be a lot worse than a bruise if you hadn't caught me," Anduin said as he reluctantly accepted the kite for a second time.

"You want to try again?"

"Fine."

"Think about something other than how high up you are; distract yourself."

Anduin tried, he really did. He thought about learning archery from his father as a young child; he fell. He thought about his mother's smile, the only thing about her that he remembered; he fell. He thought of sitting on the throne with Bolvar at his side, terribly board as a soldier reported to him about things that he didn't understand; he fell. He thought of waking from meditation to find Wrathion sitting on his lap, staring at him in curious confusion. The kite glided a considerable distance away from the shrine and down the hill before coming to a soft stop in a patch of Wild Flowers. A delighted Anduin leapt to his feet and crowed "I did it! I did it! I actually managed to fly a kite!"

"Well, more like glide a few yard," Talren sighed as Aleria emerged from the shadows beside him, "but considering how much trouble he's been having…I would suppose that it's a start.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_The sky was black and filled with billowing clouds of choking sulfurous smoke. Fel-green lights flashed through the heavens as Infernals fell like rain. Dread Tacticians and Wrath Masters cut swaths through entire armies of ill prepared mortal soldiers from both Alliance and Horde-who yet stood divided-under the command of countless Pit Lords as, off in the distance, Kil'jaedan himself rose up from the distance._

Wrathion sat bolt upright with a cry of alarm, chest heaving and soaked in cold sweat. The sun beat down upon him from directly overhead, heating the rocks on which he had fallen asleep to an intoxicating degree. He was in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Azeroth, for the moment, remained safe. It was only a dream. _No, they're never ONLY dreams. We're wasting time! It's been a month since we arrived in the Vale and it may already be too late! _Leaping to his feet, he took off running down the hill. _I have to find that Human! His obsession over the waters here will just have to wait; I've indulged him too long! _So engrossed was he in his own thoughts that he didn't think to look where he was going until he'd crashed into Anduin's chest and knocked the Human onto the ground.

"Oof!"

"Anduin?" Wrathion yelped in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," he said as he picked himself up off the ground and brushed the dust from his clothing. "Where might you be off to so quickly?"

"Looking for you; I thought you were down by the water, like usual!"

"No, not anymore. I think…that I've learned all that I will from the water. I've yet to hear it literally speak to me, but…recently I've begun to feel stronger and think in ways that I hadn't before." His blue eyes focused on the Dragon as he asked "Why were you looking for me?"

"I've had another vision, Anduin. All that it has done is highlight our need to get back to out business at the Tavern _immediately!"_

"Another vision?" Anduin repeated, nodding with understanding. "I'm not going to ask you what it was about. If I needed to know, I'm sure that you would tell me."

"Your faith in me definitely makes this easier." Wrathion said with relief evident in his tone. "Now, let's go and get the turtles-."

"Forget the turtles, flying is faster; I've finally learned how to use those stupid kites and this is the first real chance to make use of that knowledge."

"You want to fly?"

"The Golden Lotus is willing to lend us a few more kites."

Wrathion nodded. "The faster the better; we should set out right away."

"I agree." The two set out for the Pagoda where they sequestered the needed extra kites after hunting down where Talren and Aleria had gotten off to. Wrathion was entirely relaxed while flying the kite; falling off wasn't a concern to one who had their own wings regardless of how high up they were. Anduin looked a bit nervous and wobbles slightly, but was indeed quite able in flying the kite. Talren was passed out asleep on his and Aleria was glaring daggers at him.

_It will be a relief to have Left and Right back, _Wrathion thought. _They may be among my most trusted Black Talons, but there is a reason why these two aren't my personal guards. _

The flight back to the Veiled Stair took only hours where walking there had taken days. Tong was waiting for them on the porch as they touched down.

"You've arrived just in time Black Prince, White Prince." The Pandaren said as he gave each a respectful bow. "The exchange guard has sent word; a pair of champions are making their way up the stair as we speak. They will arrive at any moment."

"Good, we can get on with things quickly." Wrathion swept into the inn with Anduin on his heels; he sat down in a chair facing the door and motioned for Anduin to occupy the one beside him without a word. Left and Right resumed their usual places behind him, crossbows armed and ready.

"I wonder, who will be the first to come to us," Anduin said quietly. "Alliance or Horde."

"Horde, my Prince." Wrathion replied as the champions came through the door; an Undead Hunter with a Plague Hound at his side and a Blood Elf Priest. "Good to see that at least a few of my letters have made their way to their intended parties. You-Mortimere, Thessaile-have impeccable timing; the White Prince and I have just returned from a lengthy foray in the Vale; he was able to convince Xuen to open the gates for us. Quite the silver tongue he has."

"Doral ana'diel, White Prince." Thessaile said with a smile.

"Hello," Anduin answered, not entirely sure what it was that she had said as his grasp on Thalassian was poor.

"We shall speak of what it is that I need of you in a moment, but first let us have a drink. Tong!" The Pandaren came forward with a tray baring four glasses of tea; he served Wrathion and Anduin first, and then the two heroes. "Thank you, Tong. Champions, our world is headed towards a reckoning, and I am not talking about the current conflict between the Alliance and the Horde. I have had visions; seen terrible things! The Burning Legion has set their sights upon our world once again, and if we do not band together to defeat them they will destroy us all! As such, I am always on the lookout for like minded heroes; the White Prince, here, is evidence of that. I am sure that both of you are aware of who he is."

"If it mattered, I would say that he is Anduin Wrynn the Prince of Stormwind and an escaped captive of the Warchief, but it doesn't matter so…we won't tell." Thessaile trailed off with a girlish shrug.

"We're at an understanding then? Good." Wrathion nodded approvingly. "You will first have to prove that you are up to the task that I have set before you by gathering for us items of power and slaying some of our most hated foes, and then we must equip you accordingly. Anything that you would like to add, Anduin?"

"Oh, I…Wrathion, you're the one who knows what to ask for."

"Do I make you nervous, Human?" the Forsaken finally broke his silence. "You haven't taken your eyes off of my bow since I walked in here."

"I…forgive me, I didn't realize that I was staring." Anduin sighed and shook his head. "I was taught archery when I was young; it was something that I used to do with my Father. I was good at it, certainly better than him but only just a bit, but these last few years…I haven't had the time. I just reminded me…I suppose I got distracted."

_Squirrel. _Wrathion thought, rolling his eyes.

"Pandaren, is there anything around that could be used as a makeshift target? I think the White Prince would like to borrow my bow for a moment."

"You would let me-!?" Anduin yelped, wide eyed.

"The Forsaken look more bestial than they actually are; my good friend here has always had quite the generous streak." Thessaile trilled. "And I think he has the right idea; as we're to be working together, it's best we forget about the pissing match and get along."

"Madam Goya will likely have something that you can use. Anduin, don't hurt yourself." A pang of jealousy made his voice take on a surly tone as he watched the other Prince follow the Hunter out with eagerness.

"You know, you're lucky that he isn't a woman."

"Excuse me?" he demanded, refocusing on the Blood Elf that remained in the room with him.

"If he were, he'd have noticed by now. The way you look at him. It's as if you were blind and could suddenly see. Your eyes follow him possessively everywhere he goes, Black Prince. You pout whenever he pays more attention to something other than you. It's obvious that you want him; I really can't blame you as he is quite desirable. It's also obvious why you're driving yourself to distraction by denying yourself the one thing you really want." She brushed her curtain of orange hair out of her face before continuing. "You're worried about, I'm sure, how it would look for you to love a Wrynn. All that I can say is this; those who don't look twice at it are the ones you want to work with because those who do aren't as neutral as they claim they are. But…you didn't hear this from me; we never spoke of anything but business. In fact, I never saw that you had a Human here with you who has a bounty on his head. All that I can say to you…keep a close eye on him if you're going to be dealing further with the Horde in his presence." Bowing respectfully, she turned to walk out. "We'll be back with what you asked for." Just like that the Blood Elf was gone; presumably she took the Hunter with her. Barely a minute later Anduin came bounding through the door with an enormous smile plastered to his face.

"It's been too long! I'll have to get my hands on my own bow when I have the time." He announced happily. "Any other champions coming up the stairs?"

"Not at the moment, no." Wrathion said; was it possible that he really was that readable?

"Then you want to play some Shogi? I believe that-in light of our last match-I owe you a sound thrashing."

"If you really think that you can beat me."

"I do."

At this he couldn't help but smile. "Then bring it on, my Prince."


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

More had happened in the past month than Anduin had previously thought possible to jam into a handful of weeks. Champions of both the Alliance and Horde had been coming to them in droves at all hours of the day and night, some willing to cooperate and others not so much. He'd had to employ Shadow Magic-more specifically mind control-more than he would have liked as a good number of the Alliance champions had been hired by his Father to seek him out and drag him home and a few of the Horde Champions had refused to work with 'Human Scum' and even gone so far as to attempt to claim the bounty that Hellscream had apparently put on his escaped captive's head; a furious Wrathion had promptly taken it onto himself to personally throw both of these offenders bodily down the Veiled Stair with his own two hands. Along with that, packs of Pandaren cubs had begun to regularly make the trek up to the Tavern, seeking him out in search of stories of the broken world of the Outlands, the frozen reaches of Northrend, the chaos caused by the Shattering and even Anduin's own journies across Pandaria. On top of all of it, Wrathion had stopped talking to him; not any more than was necessary at least. And, considering the fact that he knew the Prince of the Black Flight to be of the type who thoroughly enjoyed the sound of his own voice, this was what concerned Anduin most of all. Had he offended him somehow? Done or said something wrong? With a heavy sigh Anduin closed his eyes and sank down deeper into the deliscously warm waters of the Hot Spring out back of the Tavern. "Mmm."

"Nothing quite like a hot spring to melt away a day of stress is there, my Prince?" opening his eyes, Anduin was mildly surprised to find Wrathion standing at the edge of the spring wearing nothing but a towel; it was the first time that he had seen him without his turban on; his black curls fell carelessly about his face and into his softly glowing eyes. "Mind if I join you?"

"I…no! Not at all! This is your house, after all. I'm the guest here." Anduin's gaze fell to his lap.

"You seem troubled, Anduin. What's wrong?"

"Oh, I…" involuntarily, Anduin's arms wound around himself in a loose but protective stance. "You're mad at me; I've done something wrong."

"Mad at you?" Wrathion sounded genuinely surprised. "Where did you get 'mad at you' from?"

"I…you haven't spoken a word to me in days! You're always deep in thought about something and you snap at me everytime I interrupt you-."

"I've had something very complicated and delicate on my mind since…well, before we even went to the Vale if I am to be completely honest with you but even more so after we returned. I've…been wrestling with it since we first met, though I didn't realize it originally."

"Oh, I thought…I'm sorry."

"Why do Humans always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Apologize for things that aren't their fault; say they're sorry when they've done nothing wrong. The pension of mortals to take onto their shoulders guilt that does not belong to them is something that I will never understand."

"But it's none of my business; I'm intruding."Anduin protested. "Private matters of yours are none of my-."

Anduin's eyes went wide in surprise when Wrathion's too hot hands closed gently around his shoulders and he said "they're your business when they concern you, my dear Prince. I've not been entirely truthful with you about exactly what it was that I've been holding back and why, but I've come to realize…it's just…Light, I don't know how to tell you this."

"Tell me what, Wrathion?" the night sky above had darkened Anduin's blue eyes almost to black and they now reflected the silver lights of the thousands of stars spinning above them; his thin pink lips were parted slightly in a combination of confusion at Wrathion's admittance and the shock at the Dragon's closeness which he still hadn't fully recovered from.

"Anduin, I…" the words stuck in his throat and threatened to choke him; for the first time ever Wrathion found himself entirely unable to speak. Giving up completely after a moment further, he leaned forward and kissed him instead. He tried to be gentle, really he did, but all of the bottled up passion-the want, the _need,_ that he'd been restraining-came pouring out all at once as Wrathion crushed the shocked Human against him, claws raking shallow scratches down his back. For a long time the older Prince appeared stunned by the sudden attack and didn't move; Wrathion feared that he'd push him away. But then, slowly, Anduin's shaking arms wound around his waist and one hand found its way into his black curls to hold him there for a while longer.

"'Thion," Anduin whimpered breathlessly as Wrathion turned his attention to his neck and slowly, carefully, bit down; a shallow bite but enough to break the skin. Blood, warm and red, beaded the Human's heated, alabaster skin. Anduin emitted a lewd, most un-priest-like moan and tilted his head back to give the other better access as he ravaged his soft throat with nips and kisses, carefully ensuring that every last one of the love bites that he left behind would bruise in the morning and remain fully visible no matter what the Human tried. Once he was finished marking his prize, he pulled Anduin into his lap and let him curl against his chest with his head resting under Wrathion's chin. "And all of this time I thought you were mad at me."

"My dear, foolish Prince," Wrathion purred as he planted a kiss on Anduin's forehead. "I could never be made at you. Anduin didn't answer; his breathing evened out into sleep. Wrathion scooped up the taller Prince into his arms and carried him back into the Tavern and up the stairs, shamelessly leaving their clothes on the ground to be retrieved in the morning. Nestling Anduin peacefully sleeping form amidst the silk sheets of his own bed, Wrathion curled up beside him and drifted off as well.


	16. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the short chapter, but I didn't know what else to put with this**

Chapter 15

"My King, the SI:7 forces you ordered dispatched to Pandaria have sent back word. Admiral Taylor has been found; he was badly injured fighting off the Hozen, but with the aid of Champions-and the help of the Jinyu-he has made a full recovery."

"A good thing, but what of Anduin?" Varian demanded, becoming impatient. "Tell me, Jes-tereth, what of my son!?"

"Anduin escaped from the ship, but whether he made it through the crash uninjured is unclear." The Grand Admiral informed him. "Evidence shows that the White Pawn made his way inland, where he was captured by the Horde."

"WHAT!?"

"He escaped them as well, your majesty. Sightings of him by the Pandaren natives tracked him up through Jade Forest and out over the Valley of the Four Winds; his trail went cold on the border of Kunlai Summit and his current whereabouts are unknown."

"None of the countless champions that I have sent after him have found a trace? How is that possible?"

"Many of them have come up with nothing."

"And what of the others?"

"…They returned addled, with memories of where they had been and what they had seen there wiped clean."

"Addled?" the King repeated.

"Shadow Magic, Sire. Mind control; a highly advanced form."

"Anduin." Half groan and half sigh of resignation; Varian rose from the throne and began to pace. "For what reason would you not want to be found? Could someone, or something, be after you? Do you not want to lead it back to us?"

"Sire-?"

"Prepare the fleet to set out for Pandaria immediately. The full force of the Alliance navy will soon make landing upon this new continents shores; I shall go with them. And I swear on my life that I will tear those lands apart, stone by stone, if that is what it takes to bring back my son!"


	17. Chapter 16

**Draconic used in this chapter is invented from piecing together syllables from the in game draconic uses in World of Warcraft. I looked up the language online, but unlike Demonic none of it has useable translations that would be pertinent. **

Chapter 16

"So…they finally got around to it I see?" Right murmured, peering in through the slightly open door of her employer's bedroom as discretely as she could and smiling slightly at the sight of the two Prince's curled together and sleeping in.

"Around to what, exactly?" Left grunted with all of her usual orc like gruffness, if a bit quieter than she otherwise would have to avoid any risk of disturbing the room's inhabitants. After all, where it was their job to watch over Wrathion and his interests _spying_ on him wasn't on their payroll. "You think they actually did something just because their clothing is absent from the scene?"

"Well…what am I supposed to think?" the Human demanded, her brown eyes wide. "How do you know that they didn't?"

"Because Tong told me exactly what transpired last night," Left replied. "They were in the hot spring out back when our employer made his admission and his move. The White Prince seems to have been left quite exhausted by proceedings and fell asleep; Lord Wrathion carried him up to his bed so that he could be more comfortable. They clearly didn't do anything last night. Our Prince may be a Black Dragon, but you don't really think him capable of taking advantage of a sleeping man who-considering the fact that he is a Priest, and, if my knowledge serves correctly, all of them are forced to take a vow of chastity-is more than likely a virgin."

"You think so?"

"If he'd had any experience, I think he would have noticed our Master's attentions prior to having them shoved in his face."

"Maybe he did notice. Maybe he's really as manipulative a bastard as any of our Master's corrupted kin; you saw how easily he reduced those champions to mindless puppets without seeming to give it a second thought."

"I think you might be blowing this out of proportion Right."

"All that I'm saying is, if he hurts Lord Wrathion, the Prince of Stormwind will mysteriously disappear and no trace of him will ever be found."

"From what I've heard about Varian Wrynn and his hatred for Black Dragons, if anything happened to his son he'd find out where he was staying last prior to his disappearance, come here with the likely the entire force of the Alliance and attempt to hang out Master from Stormwind's gates by his tail. Do you really want that."

"Let him try it!"

"Like I said, you're blowing things out of proportion. Shadow-wielder of not, the Prince of the Alliance may as well be a morbidly obese declawed lion cub for all the damage he could ever hope to cause."

"Now all I see when I think of him is an enormous ball of fuzz! It's so cute I want to die!"

"You change gears too quickly." The Orc sighed; even after knowing her companion for years, she was still impossible to predict and even harder to understand.

"I guess we should go pick up their clothes from outside; it looks like it might rain soon, and we would probably get in trouble if they caught us."

"Most likely. And you're right, we should." Anything to get her a safe distance away from Anduin before she remembered her earlier pledge to possibly visit harm upon him.

Wrathion was warm in a way that no Human ever could be, and the pleasant warmth caused by the skin to skin contact of their bodies lying together and fitting so perfectly lulled him into a pleasant half-sleep in which he was content to lay long past when he would normally have gotten out of bed. His dark skin was soft like silk and he smelled of smoke and spices. He shifted slightly, and felt the Dragon's hands slide down his sides and over the small of his back coming to rest on his hips. Without opening his eyes, Anduin smiled.

"Getting a bit over confident, don't you think 'Thion?" he snickered quietly; the Black Prince shuddered lightly at the feeling of his cool breath against the skin of his chest.

"Whatever do you me, my dearly beloved Prince?" the dark toned voice was richer than Anduin had ever heard it; for the first time since they'd met, Wrathion had finally allowed his walls to come down and his love for Anduin to show through in every word.

"It's not that I don't like you that way, I do, believe me, but…normally it doesn't escalate to…that quite so quickly. Besides…I made a promise to my Father, and another one to my mentor when I first became a Priest, that I wouldn't until I got married and…I'm not quite ready to break it yet." He saw his own sheepish expression peering back at him reflected in the Dragon's red eyes. Seeming to understand, Wrathion nodded.

"When you are ready, I'll be here."

At this Anduin smiled and let his head fall back to Wrathion's chest. "Thank you, 'Thion."

"What are you thanking me for, my love?"

"For understanding."

"I love you, Anduin, and I don't want to ever risk doing anything to push you away."

"You don't have to ever worry about that, 'Thion."

Silence for a while. Wrathion's long fingered hands traced soothing circles across his back, the talons on his hands touching so lightly that they tickled instead of hurt. It had only taken a passing glance down at himself to realize that his pale skin was covered in marks, some blue-black like bruises and others red and puckered as if they had been bleeding the night before; there were so many of them that they were impossible to hide but Anduin didn't care. To him, they carried as much pride as the countless battle scars adorning the king's body brought to his Father and held a much deeper meaning. They were an un-refutable symbol that he belonged to Wrathion and though each and every one of them were entirely within his power to heal with but a flick of his wrist Anduin knew that he wouldn't.

"Can I ask you something, Anduin?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you call me that now, all of a sudden?"

"Call you what?" with as drowsy as he still was even after a full night's rest he was having trouble following exactly what it was that Wrathion was getting at.

"Why do you call me 'Thion?"

"I…?" Anduin's eyes opened again and he looked up at him. "It just…seemed natural. I…if you don't like it just tell me. I'll stop."

"Stop? Never!" Wrathion grinned at him. "Now I have to come up with something I can call you."

"Anduin is fine."

"I insist."

"But my name isn't as easy to turn into a nickname by taking off a syllable. 'Duin sounds stupid."

"Mel'alar."

"Excuse me?"

"It means beloved one in Draconic." Wrathion explained. "If you would like, as I am-by now-well aware of your thirst for knowledge, I could teach you a bit of the language when we find ourselves in possession of spare time."

"I would like that," he said with a smile, sitting up and moving to get out of bed; Wrathion grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait. Where are you going?"

"Well, I've no way of knowing exactly what time it is by looking outside due to the storm," Anduin said, "but I'd hazard a guess at around mid-day and we'd hate to find ourselves in the awkward situation of Tong sending up a champion only to have them find us naked in bed together. Even if we haven't done anything yet…the amount of explaining it would take would be more than a little bit annoying."

Wrathion had to admit that his gloriously beautiful Prince was right about that, but couldn't help but wish that he lived in a world where Anduin would be possessed by a sudden aversion to clothing. But, then again, there were his Black Talons-many of which were female-to think about, and, of course, his own personal body guards Left and Right who were also female. Though he was completely sure that none of them would ever do anything so brazen as to even so much as attempt to take something that belonged to him but, true to his Draconic nature, he couldn't help but guard his most valued treasure jealously. If anyone so much as touched Anduin with even the slightest trace of interest…he'd rip their head off. Pulling himself up out of bed as well, Wrathion joined his partner in redressing in the clothing that they had been wearing the night before; clothing which someone, likely one of his Black Talons or even Left of Right themselves, had left for them folded up on a chair. Returned to what would be societally considered 'decent', though their attire was more than a little bit wrinkled all things considered, the pair made their way down the stairs in search of breakfast, hand in hand.

"Ah, Prince Wrathion, Prince Anduin you're awake." Tong said with a smile upon catching sight of them. "I took the liberty of keeping breakfast warm for you. I'll bring it out now, along with some tea."

"Thank you, Tong. That sounds marvelous." Wrathion replied, sitting down at the table and grinning up at Anduin as he did the same. "Keeping them, are you? The marks?"

"I…yeah." He said. "You wouldn't have made them if you didn't want me to, would you?"

"No." Came the response, accompanied by an almost blade like grin. "I wouldn't have. I never do anything without a purpose, Mel'alar."

Tong re-emerged from the kitchen with their breakfast, setting a pair of trays before them; in the usual Pandaren style that Anduin had begun to grow accustomed to, rather than serving sweet things for breakfast like, for example, the syrup saturate pancakes that Wrathion had had to order specially prepared for him back in One Keg, their trays each consisted of a large grilled fish, a bowl of the yellow pickles that Anduin favored, a bowl of a soup containing cubes of white tofu and green onion with a broth consisting of miso and fish paste, a bowl of rice, a platter of steaming pork dumplings and a cup of roasted barley tea with a mello aroma and pleasing flavor.

"I have no idea how I'm going to re-acclimate to Stormwind fair." Anduin said quietly, starting off with the soup spoon as he had still yet to grow entirely accustomed to the chop sticks with which Wrathion was so deft.

"You won't need to. You're living here with me, remember."

"Forever?"

"Would you mind that?"

"'Thion, do you really want to be stuck with me?"

"At the moment, I'm more worried about being stuck _without_ you Mel'alar."

At this Anduin sighed in exasperation. "Well, I'm going to have to at least visit Stormwind from time to time. If I don't, my Father will lose his mind."

"Speaking of your Father, on what occasion am I to be meeting the esteemed Varian Wrynn?" Anduin dropped his spoon with a loud clatter, his face turning white. "…What'd I say?"

"Uh, about that…you remember that day when we had that conversation…about our pasts? And I told you about what happened to my mother? And you know about have Deathwing kind of trampled Stormwind during the Cataclysm? Well…my Father was never the most…forgiving man. And he has a tendancy to be a bit…I suppose you would call him selectively racist so…'Thion, I love you with all my heart and soul, I swear to the Light that I do but…it'd probably be for the best that my Dad _never _meets you. If you still insist on meeting him I know full well that there is nothing in the _outlands_ that I or anyone else could do or say to stop you, but at least believe me when I tell you that such a meeting would have to be conducted with the _utmost_ delicacy and not before careful planning. And, most preferably, away from Pandaria."

"Why?"

"Tell me, Wrathion Prestor, what three letter word am I thinking of right now?"

"Um…bad?"

"Close, but no." Anduin said, his eyes narrowing. "SHA, Wrathion. That is why it would be best that you meet outside Pandaria if you ever meet at all. My Father would likely fly off the handle, and if he were to do it here the Sha of Anger Hatred AND Violence would all be summoned up at once. And I have the distinct feeling that they'd be a bit…bigger than usual."

"You talk about your Father like he's capable of causing as much destruction as mine."

"…If I were to be completely honest with you, sometimes I wonder."

"Now I absolutely _must_ meet him!"

Anduin let out an enormous sigh. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of.


	18. Chapter 17

**I am aware that I should probably have a little Garrosh POV somewhere in this fic and I will eventually but it won't be until later. I know it would probably be better to put him in sooner but to be entirely honest, as I am a hard core Alliance Player who has never played Horde past level 80, I have no idea what the Horde is doing in Pandaria. On another note, I apologize for the delay in posting.**

Chapter 17

He'd been so immersed in his own thoughts that his surroundings had all but faded into the Twisting Nether, so he practically jumped out of his skin with Wrathion's loving and familiar touch came to rest on the small of his back; luke-warm tea-sticky with sugar and honey-sloshed over his fingers and onto the table, and Anduin frowned in annoyance and he picked up a napkin to clean up the mess he'd made.

"You scared me, 'Thion." He informed the other tartly. The Black Dragon smiled back innocently, sitting down beside him. "Is something the matter?"

"I was about to ask you that," he said, reaching out a hand to stroke his cheek; Anduin couldn't help but lean into Wrathion's smoldering touch, his eyes falling half closed in contentment. "You seemed to have spaced out; you looked rather glazed over." His hand moved to Anduin's forehead in search of a fever. "Are you ill?"

It had been a month since they'd come out about their feelings to each other; they hardly made a secret of their relationship to their champions-Wrathion had once gone so far as to kiss Anduin with tongue in front of a pair of very shocked trolls-but once they were alone the Dragon's world seemed to center around Anduin; for the time being they were stuck at the tavern waiting for their chosen champions to 'bring home the bacon' as it were and he suspected that that would likely change once such was no longer the case, but that was what he had signed on for after all. Wrathion had made his position very clear. He loved Wrathion with all his heart and soul and could never ask anything more of him; the one making the greatest sacrifice for their relationship was Wrathion, after all. After all, the Black Prince, last of Death Wing's Flight, was immortal. And he, Anduin Wrynn, was not.

"No. I'm not sick." Anduin told him quietly. "I was just thinking."

"Thinking quite hard from the look of things," he replied. "Whatever about?"

"Our mission here is to search Pandaria for artifacts of ancient power which we can then use to thwart the Legion, yes?"

He nodded. "We've been over this many times and are both well aware. Why?"

"I am not trying to undermine your extensive network of sources or the legitimacy of their information, but I highly doubt that they could ever discover information on everything that fits what we are looking for. But who would know better of our quest-of what we are looking for and where to find it-than the Celestials? Xuen. Niuzao. Chi-ji. Yu'lon. They are powerful in a way that is similar to you and your fellow Dragon Aspects. Hope. Faith. Resolve. Temperance. Their blessings alone could go a long way, for our champions as well."

"You're suggesting that we make a pilgrimage to each of their temples in search of them?"

Anduin nodded. "I am."

For a moment Wrathion seemed to consider this, then he nodded. "I think you're right, my dear Prince." He agreed. "To which shall we go first? You certainly made a lasting impression on the White Tiger. Or perhaps we shall head to the Black Ox Temple, in Townlong? Yu'lon may be…difficult to reach, as the Jade Serpent's Temple has been over-run by the Sha of Doubt. And as for the Temple of the Red Crane-."

"I've been party to the same reports that you have, 'Thion. I know full well that Krasarang has become contested territory and that the fighting has begun to bleed into the land. They say that a Sha may soon manifest there. If that's the case, than we ought to go to see Chi-ji before that happens, and to do whatever we can to help."

"Your heart is too good, Prince." Wrathion told him quietly. "Sometimes, I worry that it will lead you into trouble."

"I am called by the Light to tend to others, and to aid them whenever they have need of it. I'm-."

Wrathion quickly quieted him with a gentle kiss; had anyone else been so bold as the interrupt the Prince of Stormwind, the Black Prince was rather sure that the beautiful human wouldn't have hesitated in delivering a swift and brutal Holy Smite, but with him he only looked slightly cross. "I know. You're a Priest of the Holy Light, sword to do good, and donate to charity, and take in stray cats, and a whole host of other goody-two-shoes acts. And I love your thoughtless-sometimes entirely senseless-kindness; it's a nice change of pace from me. I would be the first to admit that, in that regard, you are a far better man than I. But I want you to promise me that you'll be careful." He ran one long fingered hand through Anduin's hair, golden blonde and soft as finest silk, and brought it down to rest at the nape of his neck. "Krasarang is dangerous. Not just because of the Alliance and Horde or the potential for Sha corruption; Mantid, Mogu, Tigers, Saurok, Venomous water snakes and a whole host of other viscous creatures. We'll be together and we'll be well guarded, but all the same…"

"I'll be careful, 'Thion." He promised, blue eyes clear and honest. "I may be mortal, but I'm not fragile."

"Mortal, yes." His voice was quiet. _There will be time to see to changing that soon enough. I've managed to swallow my pride to the point that I could ask her for that, but we've yet to arrive at the point where I can safely leave things in Anduin's hands-and those of Left and Right of course-for long enough to head to Northrend. _"I don't want to lose you before I have to."

"Please don't get sappy on me."

He couldn't hold back the grin that comment illicited. "Your Father, so our sources say, is headed to Pandaria with his fleet. He should soon make landfall in Krasarang, and when he does it will become much harder for you to remain off his radar."

"I won't be trying to, 'Thion. When Father arrives, I am going to go and see him."

"I thought you said that you were done with the Alliance."

"This has nothing to do with the Alliance and everything to do with preventing my Father from carving a _warpath_ across Pandaria in search of me. I wasn't exaggerating that day we spoke about him." Anduin replied shortly. "I'd rather take the time to go see him and say 'look Dad, I'm ok," than risk him kicking down the Tavern's door to find me drinking tea with a member of the Horde and the World's last Black Dragon. Nothing good would come out of that."

"…yes, you're right it wouldn't." Wrathion agreed, looking slightly pale. "Shall we set out tomorrow, than?"

"Sounds good to me," Anduin agreed.

"So, what shall we do for the rest of tonight Mel'alar?" Take a bath, perhaps? Play another round of Shogi, or maybe that new game you like, Jihui? Or would you rather turn in early, as we've a arduous day of travel before us?"

"I took a bath earlier, so that's off the table. As is sleeping; travel aside, I've yet to tire. And as for board games," Anduin wrinkled his nose adorably for a moment. "Not tonight. I've a better idea."

"Oh?" the dragon asked him, raising a pencil-thin eyebrow. "Pray tell, my love."

"It's a warm night. Clear. No clouds. Let's go up to the Mason's Folly."

"Whatever for?"

"The view, obviously." Anduin said with a laugh. "Some alone time together; we'll still be safe if you leave Left and Right at the bottom of the stairs. It'd be romantic."

"Appealing indeed. Shall I request that Tong whip up a desert to bring with us?"

Now the White Prince was positively beaming. "That sounds fabulous. I'll meet you at the Folly; there's something I need to grab."

"Fair enough," Wrathion said as they both rose from their seats. "Don't take too long."

"I'll be there before you know it," as Wrathion headed for the door Anduin took the stairs two at a time and made for the nightstand. He'd had to work up a great deal of courage in order to even so much as ask Talren to get it for him, and after the Rogue had called in a few favors to loyally deliver-mercifully without asking any questions-he'd been left in possession of it not entirely sure of how to proceed. But now he was sure about Wrathion, sure that he was ready to break an oath sworn to his Father, his mentor, and the Church of the Light itself before he'd even known what chastity had meant. And tonight was his first chance since coming to his decision. Finally succeeding in recovering the tiny vial from the depths of the drawer, Anduin slipped it into his pocket and left his room with a small smile.


	19. Chapter 18

**So this is it, the first [and probably only, I don't know we'll see] smut chapter. I am…admittedly bad at writing this sort of thing, so I hope it's not too sappy or something else equally horrible. Enjoy. **

Chapter 18

Left and Right were flanking the base of the stone stairs of Mason's Folly when he arrived.

"Has Wrathion gone up already?" he asked, looking around to find that Wrathion was nowhere around.

"Yes, he's waiting for you up top White Prince." Left told him. Right remained silent, eyeing him in a way that-considering the fact that she was holding a loaded crossbow-could be considered threatening. "We'll remain down here unless you call for us. You'll be entirely alone."

"Thank you." Leaving them at the base of the stairs, he ascended quickly to the top of the Mason's Folly. "Wrathion?" Looking around, he found himself alone.

"Over here, Anduin." Following the sound of the other's voice, he was surprised to see a tiny whelp-all but invisible in the darkness-sitting on a rock beside a wicker basket doubtlessly containing their desert. "What's the look for? You've seen my true form before!"

"Don't get offended," Anduin said, walking over to sit down beside him. "I just didn't expect you to look like this."

"Well, flying up here was faster than walking," he replied, puffing out his little chest. "And, besides, sometimes this form has its advantages."

"Like?"

"In my Human form, I can't do this." With a few sharp flaps of his tiny wings, Wrathion lifted off of the rock to alight on Anduin's shoulders instead.

"Be honest, does this have anything to do with me being warmer than the rock?"

"…Maybe a little, but that only part of it! I can be closer to you in this form; if I sat on you in Human form I think it'd upset you."

"I think it would too," Anduin replied, laughing as Wrathion blew tiny kisses in his left ear. "What did Tong give you?"

"Let's see," lifting off again, he fluttered over to the basket and peered inside. "I think it's chocolate cake."

"How many slices?"

"No, Aduin, not slices. It's a whole cake."

"What?"

"It's warm; looks like it was just made."

"In five minutes? How?"

"No idea; Tong is very good at his job." Reassuming Human form, Wrathion pulled the cake from the depths of the basket and set it on the ground between them before retrieving two plates and a knife as well. "Let's eat it while it's warm, yes?"

"Yes, good idea."

"So…cut it in half?"

"'Thion, neither of us need…can you even eat that much?"

"I'm a dragon."

"A small one; that isn't good for you!"

"If you're about to tell me to eat my vegetables-!"

"If you want to make yourself sick, be my guest. I, for one, shall have a slice that is within reason." Gently resting control of the knife from his partner, Anduin cut himself a slice before handing it back; despite his earlier assertions, Wrathion cut himself a slice that was only slightly larger. They sat together in contented silence, eating and looking out at the view. The stars far above them in the cloudless black sky. The Valley of the Four Winds stretching out below them. Anduin felt as if he could see all the way to the sea. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the tiny vial and began to fiddle with it in his lap. Unlike Humans, Wrathion's vision was perfect dispite the darkness and it wasn't long before he noticed.

"What's this?" reaching over without warning, he plucked the vial away before Anduin could react. For a long time he simply stared at it in uncomprehending confusion, not quite sure what to say. Finally, he settled for "lube? Anduin, why…?" it all seemed to dawn on him as he trailed off. "Now I get it! The romantic spot. Your insistence that we be entirely alone. I have to say, I didn't see this coming."

"Well, I…" not sure of what to say and well aware that a blush was reaching his ears, he did his best to assume a position that he thought might be provocative. "You said to tell you when I was ready."

"Yes, well…I expected you to drop a hint. I thought I'd have time to blanket your bed in rose petals and…put honey in your bathtub." At the raised eyebrow this received he demanded "What, is that only a Blood Elf thing?"

"If it's a thing at all," he shifted awkwardly. "Look, Wrathion, I…with all of the thought I gave to whether or not I was ready I never spared a moment to wonder if you were. I'm sorry."

"You think I'm not…? Mel'alar, I was willing to do this that first night in the hot spring. You don't need to wonder if I'm ready. But…are _you_ sure?"

"I've asked myself that same question every night for a month," Anduin said, blue eyes holding a silent timid plea. "I've never been more sure about anything, 'Thion. And…this may be the only chance that we get until…Light knows, the Legion could have come and gone by then!"

"You're right," Wrathion said, reaching around to pull Anduin into a kiss; soft at first but rapidly intensifying to and passed anywhere it had been before. Wrathion was taken off guard when Anduin attacked him; teeth clashed as the pair began to battle for control. For a while Anduin held dominance over the kiss, but with a quiet snarl Wrathion promptly turned the tables on the weaker Human and soon had him pinned on his back. Victorious, he pulled away to allow him to catch his breath, a silvery strand of mixed saliva threading between them. The Prince of Stormwind tasted like honey and chocolate and something strange and sharp and citrusy; the Light perhaps? Wrathion tasted like smoke and spices. Anduin was panting, hands fisted helplessly in Wrathion's shirt; it had rucked up to reveal a sliver of dark, toned stomach. Wrathion's eyes were glowing brighter than ever. Arousal darkened his voice when he growled "I don't like your clothes. They're on you. You should take them all off. Now." Confusion made it through Anduin's distraction for a moment, transforming his expression into something comical before he complied, hands shaking just slightly. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside before reaching down to undo his belt. Wrathion stared; he couldn't help himself. Sure, Anduin had been entirely unclothed in front of him before, but on that occasion his lower half had been submerged in water and hidden from view. To say the least, the Prince of Stormwind wasn't small. Wrathion was brought back to earth by a high-pitched keening whine and an insistant tug on his shirt as he tried and failed to pull it over his head, succeeding only in knocking off his turban. "Impatient."

"'Thion!" He wailed.

"Alright, hold on." Annoyed by the inability to properly remove his fine dress in a swift manor, he settled for ripping it off and tossing it into an unceremonious pile not far away. With that taken care of he returned to kissing his prince, trailing his mouth down his neck and across his neck, stopping to pay a bit of extra attention to the erect nubs and grinning against the smooth supple skin when he was rewarded with a breathless gasp. He continued downwards across his flat stomach to the inside of his thighs. Again, the needy almost tortured sounding whine reaching his ears.

"'Thion." Breathless. "Please!" By this point Anduin was painfully hard, his pulse visible in his length. Wrathion felt his mouth go momentarily dry and licked his lips before leaning forwards. Anduin squirmed beneath his breath alone and all but screamed when Wrathion finally took him in his mouth. His hands fisted hard at his sides, nails breaking ragged as they scraped against the uneven stone beneath him. Colors seemed to have intensified; the world was swirling. Anduin squeezed his eyes shut to stop the spinning. His heart was pounding against the cage of his ribs, the blood rushing in his ears loud enough to leave him deafened. Wrathion's mouth was so hot, his tongue moving with expert precision along the underside of his cock and around the head until he finally couldn't take it anymore. "Ahh! 'Thion!" And that was all the warning that he could give before his body shuddered and the breath was knocked out of him. Wrathion pulled back, eyes glowing with fire and a trickle of clearish-white dribbling down his chin; he wiped it away with the back of his hand and watched Anduin try to catch his breath for a moment before getting to his feet. "'Thion-."

Shh. I'm not going anywhere," he soothed, returning quickly with the vial that Anduin had brought up with him. "We'll need this. Are you ready, or should I allow you a few moments more the catch your breath?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm ready." Anduin watched with cautious curiousity as Wrathion lifted one of his legs up onto his shoulders to expose the opening he wanted. "This is going to hurt."

"I can guarantee you I've been through worse."

"I know, but still. I don't like the thought of hurting you, so if I do tell me and I'll slow down." Anduin nodded in agreement before sucking in a sharp breath and tensing up at the attempt of Wrathion's finger, coated in cold liquid, to slip inside him. "Relax, Anduin."

"I'm sorry! It's cold!" With considerable effort Anduin managed to loosen his muscles enough for Wrathion to work his way inside. The intrusion was uncomfortable; odd but not exactly painful. A moment passed, and then he added another finger and began to gently stretch the opening. By the time he added the third finger, uncomfortable had given way to borderline painful. Then, suddenly with no warning, Wrathion withdrew. Anduin was left with an astounding feeling of emptiness, as if he'd been plunged into a deep pit of darkness and despair. It distracted him so much that he didn't hear Wrathion's warning, if there was one. Something much bigger slid into him; this _hurt;_ tears pricked the corners of his eyes and he must have cried out, but wasn't aware of it. Wrathion's mouth met his in a gentle kiss, but other than that he was perfectly still. Their bodies were touching in so many places, lined up and fitting perfectly together. "Move!" Gently, doing his best to distract Anduin as much as possible, he set a rhythm to their activity; the Prince of Stormwind's nails raked red lines down his back as he bit down on his shoulder to stifle a whimper, his flat teeth all but harmless to the Dragon's thick skin though Wrathion was sure that it would bruise. Anduin was clutching him as if for dear life, back arching as the Dragon found that one special spot and emitted a strangled sound that, though strange, wasn't one of displeasure as little dots burst before his eyes and he went boneless beneath him. Anduin was spent and just as clearly satisfied, gazing up at him as he pulled away to lay beside him with a warm afterglow hazing his blue eyes. Without a word he curled against Wrathion's chest and fell asleep. Guilt at leaving Left and Right standing at the bottom of the Folly all night was only a passing presence in his mind as he, too, was pulled down into sleep.


End file.
